Boston establishing 11 wastewater COVID-19 testing sites BOSTON (AP) — Boston is planning to establish 11 wastewater testing sites across the city to help monitor for spikes in the COVID-19 virus. The head of the Boston Public Health Commission said the city is partnering with vendors to create the sites as COVID-19 levels in wastewater across the region have begun rising. AP NEWS

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Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston’s public health commissioner, said the city will be sampling water from the sites on a weekly basis. Ojikutu said the testing will also help the city monitor for the appearance of new variants of the disease.

N.H. is looking for more communities to help track COVID through wastewater

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is looking for more wastewater treatment plants to participate in a COVID data tracking project.

People infected with COVID can shed the virus in their feces. That means even if someone doesn't have symptoms, the virus can be detected in the wastewater — allowing public health officials to monitor its spread even when traditional testing is less reliable.

While wastewater data doesn’t show how many people in a given community have the virus, it illustrates changes in levels of COVID-19.

So far, 12 wastewater plants are participating in the state's tracking program. They include more densely populated areas like Manchester, and more rural areas of the state.

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COVID-19 wastewater efforts confront long-term questions - Roll Call Public health experts hope the technology will help monitor threats beyond COVID-19 — like opioids and the flu. Roll Call

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