2021 United States Coast Guard Academy Project B

Title: Sewage Testing to Predict COVID-19 Outbreaks for the Coast Guard at Land and Sea
Cadets: Clara Hay, Amelia Krause, Emma Langenbacher, Allison Ruth
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Gray, Science Department

Summary: Rapid detection of positive COVID-19 cases is especially important at institutions with high population density living in close quarters, such as military training centers and Coast Guard Cutters.  Although nasal swabbing asymptomatic individuals is highly effective, it is costly and labor intensive.   This project describes the development of the Coast Guard Sewage Surveillance Program to assess undetected infections of COVID-19.  Sewage levels of viral genes were correlated with identified infections at TRACEN Cape May and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.  The Coast Guard is now establishing two additional testing laboratories capable of sewage analysis at TRACEN Cape May and TRACEN Petaluma.

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