Tamworth's COVID-19 sewage testing myths debunked by Hunter New England Health

With no known cases of the virus, authorities say the only logical explanation is that there is somebody in the local community who has COVID-19.

NSW's sewage surveillance program detected traces of the virus in Tamworth's catchment on Tuesday and Thursday last week and Monday this week. Additional tests were taken on Wednesday with results expected on Friday.

The Leader took some of the most common questions being asked by locals to Hunter New England Health.

Can people who have had the COVID-19 vaccine cause traces of virus in the sewage?

No. COVID vaccines don't contain live virus. The available vaccines for COVID-19 do not result in viral shedding and cannot be detected as viral fragments in sewage.

Is it possible that the positive detection in Tamworth's sewage could be from the young woman who travelled from Newcastle to Tamworth?

The sewage reflects shedding generally in the last 24 to 48 hours, so it's not going to be from the young woman who travelled from Newcastle.

How long do COVID fragments last in the sewage?

It is not well understood how long SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) survives in sewage. Virus survival depends on the conditions in the sewer. SARS-CoV-2 virus is not expected to remain infectious in sewage for a long period.

Where are the samples being taken from in Tamworth?

Tamworth Regional Council collects the samples from the Tamworth sewage catchment in Westdale. Tests are done twice weekly on Monday and Wednesday.

Are we not getting the full picture because people have their own septic tanks?

We don't collect tests from septic tanks but the message we want to get across is that sewage surveillance is just one important tool we use to help keep us ahead of the virus.

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