Chattanooga’s wastewater shows Coronavirus cases may be higher than numbers show

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – Hamilton County’s Covid-19 cases are continuing to rise, and a new study of the community’s wastewater reveals that  there may be more cases in our area than numbers show. 

The city of Chattanooga has partnered up with a company called BioBot to participate in research that detects traces of the coronavirus in human waste. 

Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment facility sends the company small samples sizes , allowing them to test each one thoroughly. 

“They get a count of the genetic fragments of the Covid virus. That’s the virus that causes covid. That count then gets translated with all of our other data through a model that gives us a prevalence rate,” says Jeffery rose, Director of Waste Resources

Based on the concentration of Covid-19 in the wastewater, BioBot estimates there were 12,500 cases in our area at the end of May. 

City Officials say they decided to spend the almost 24 thousand dollars it takes to participate in this study because they believe all data options should be explored.

“We just wanted to be able to provide as many points of data as we can for all of us.Provide information to all of us in the community and all of us decision makers. We need as much information as we can have to make those good decisions,” says Maura Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer for the city 

The city says they believe the science and numbers are correct but they are looking for another company to perform this testing just to double check. 

“Maybe if we could get another lab that does a similar type thing we might be able to just verify yes these are good numbers,” says Rose. 

The city will be participating in this study for the next year.