Florida behind in testing wastewater to track covid; meanwhile cases rise in South Florida

Tracking COVID in wastewater is the future — but not in Florida Flushing the toilet can help scientists track surges of COVID-19. But Florida is behind other states in utilizing the technology. Tampa Bay Times

As COVID-19 testing continues to recede in Florida, it is far behind other states in tracking the virus with promising technology that relies on wastewater.

The Florida Department of Health received more than $1.2 million from the federal government last summer to build a statewide system to detect the virus in wastewater. Eight months later, the state won’t say whether such a program exists.

Without a state wastewater testing network, 12 of Florida’s 67 counties turned to outside help to track the virus. Pinellas County’s program is funded by the federal government. Others, such as in Hillsborough, are paid for by a private company.

But that patchwork approach has limitations.

On April 15, testing in Pinellas and five other counties ended when federal funding expired. Data collected by the six counties went dark just as the state’s average daily infections jumped 80 percent in two weeks. 

“This is our best early warning sign,” said University of Miami microbiologist Helena Solo-Garbiele. But without it: “We lose our ability to detect surges.” ...

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