Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Honolulu Sewage Being Tested for Corona Virus
By News Release @ 6:42 PM :: 2518 Views :: Honolulu County, COVID-19

Wastewater testing May 19

The first wastewater testing kit from Biobot Analytics arrived in Honolulu earlier this month.

Wastewater Testing Project Underway for Oʻahu

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, May 20, 2020

HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu is participating in an innovative new COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Project to help provide additional data and information in a growing effort to monitor the extent of COVID-19 on Oʻahu as the local economy opens back up. Sampling wastewater is experimental but can provide broad testing results to indicate COVID-19 prevalence.

The Department of Environmental Services began collecting sewage samples from wastewater plants on Oʻahu recently, and has already sent one round of samples off to Massachusetts-based Biobot Analytics, Inc., for analysis. The City plans to send wastewater samples for analysis on a weekly schedule to help track the island-wide prevalence of COVID-19 over a two month period during this pilot project.

“We know that testing is the key to economic recovery, and wastewater epidemiology provides an opportunity for the City to get a ‘big picture’ view while we continue to try to ramp up our individual testing programs,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “This is an additional tool we now have in our pocket as we make critical decisions to open up more of our economy or hit pause if we begin to see evidence the virus is spreading.”

Founded in 2017 by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Biobot launched a program in partnership with MIT, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital earlier this year to generate public health data on COVID-19 across the United States. Biobot now receives samples for analysis from over 170 wastewater facilities across 37 states, including cities and towns in Massachusetts, New York, Florida, California, and now Hawaiʻi.

Biobot collects non-infective RNA information from raw sewage samples which is then aggregated to produce an estimate of the rise and fall of COVID-19 levels in local populations. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Biobot used its wastewater technology to help researchers analyze patterns and levels of opioid use in the United States.

“Our team collected samples from all nine of the City’s wastewater plants, and shipped our first round of samples to Biobot’s lab last week,” said ENV Director Lori Kahikina, “In this kind of crisis situation, collecting this information is important if it can protect our residents and help our City recover.”

The technology remains in early stages but in some cities the existence of COVID-19 was picked up in wastewater testing before positive tests emerged in the actual population. It is difficult to accurately predict the number of residents carrying COVID-19, but readings will provide a general trend.

Honolulu Chief Resilience Officer Josh Stanbro leads the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency and has been involved in the City’s COVID-19 testing program. “This is an unprecedented challenge and we have to adapt to embrace innovation and new technology,” Stanbro stated. “We are constantly reaching out to other cities and community partners to find solutions, and within a few days of hearing about this we had an approval to move forward—that’s the kind of speed we need to beat this crisis.”

The pilot project costs $25,000 and is being funded by the CARES Act, a federal emergency aid package to help local governments respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

To obtain more information on the COVID-19 response, visit www.oneoahu.org

To learn more about Biobot Analytics, visit biobot.io.

—PAU—

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT