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We Can Now Measure The Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater

In response to the widespread concern over public health, Microbac is proud to introduce wastewater testing for the Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater can be used to:

  • Monitor populations at scale at a low cost  
  • Provide better data to track the prevalence of the virus and the spread of infection 
  • Predict COVID-19 outbreaks before clinic diagnoses occur  
  • Account for individuals who have not been tested or have mild to no symptoms 

To secure a test for your community, fill out the form and a Microbac representative will be in touch.

Why Use Wastewater Surveillance as a
COVID-19 Strategy

Testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater provides decision makers with a
powerful low-cost tool to monitor population level disease dynamics over time
and distance.

Get Ahead

Get Ahead

SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in feces a few days to a week before symptoms are visible. Wastewater surveillance can predict COVID-19 outbreaks even before clinical testing and hospital admissions.

See the Bigger Picture

Bigger Picture

Thousands of people can be monitored through merely one wastewater sample. This population-wide data can be particularly informative to regions with low clinical  COVID-19 testing rates.

Save Money

Save Money

Clinical testing can be expensive. Instead of individually testing thousands of patients, wastewater samples are less invasive and much more cost-efficient for getting a grip on COVID-19 in a community.

Meaure Trends

Measure Trends

By utilizing wastewater testing, community leaders can establish trends in current outbreaks, identify newoutbreaks, understand the prevalence of infections and get ahead of the virus.

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Wastewater Epidemiology

Wastewater epidemiology is the analysis of wastewater to identify the presence or absence of biologicals or chemicals in regard to public health. This type of surveillance is not new. In fact, it’s been used in the past to detect pharmaceuticals, industrial waste, drugs, viruses and more. Now, Microbac is using this low-cost solution to help leaders make informed decisions for their communities in regard to COVID-19.

How Scientists are Using Wastewater to Track the Coronavirus

Microbac Laboratories News | 5/6/2020

Routine wastewater testing is a non-invasive tool stakeholders can use to alert their communities of increasing COVID-19 infections before further infection occurs and to gauge whether the measures they’re taking to curb the spread are effective.

Read More
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Complete Quality Control At Every Step

The Microbac difference is our rigorous Quality Control program. We built positive and negative controls for each step of the 4-part analysis plus internal amplification controls.

Our Wastewater Testing Method

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Step 1:
Viral Concentration

Virus may be present in low numbers in wastewater samples so it’s important to perform a concentration step before further sample processing.

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Step 2:
Extraction

This step draws out and purifies the viral RNA by removing extraneous biological and other material that could inhibit further analyses.

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Step 3:
Reverse Transcription

Usually designated by the letters - RT - this process of converting viral RNA into a complementary DNA (cDNA) molecule that can then be analyzed by PCR.

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Step 4:
Polymerase Chain Reaction

Otherwise known by the shorthand - PCR - this method used to amplify or copy the cDNA in order to detect specific viral targets of interest

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