Laredo Health Department using wastewater to track COVID

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The Laredo Health Department says recent wastewater samples show signs of elevated COVID-19 cases.

Using its wastewater surveillance system, the department reports that this month’s case levels have risen compared to last month. Officials say vaccination remains the best way to prevent severe illness and slow the spread.

Public Information Manager Jaime Perez said samples are collected three times a week and tested off-site. “Our wastewater surveillance system is collected three times a week. We send off these samples to get examined to a lab off-site. We get these results back, and this is how we see the residuals that the body pushes out when we’re sick. So this is how we see COVID-19 or any other respiratory illness, because we have the panels for that as well,”