NCDHHS is testing samples of wastewater from select treatments plants across the state to look for COVID-19. This metric helps us understand spread of COVID-19 at the community level.
People with COVID-19 shed viral particles in their stool. In wastewater, the particles are no longer infectious but can still be measured. Research suggests that the virus that causes COVID-19 can appear in wastewater 4-6 days before the first cases are identified and can serve as an early warning indicator before changes are seen in other metrics. More detailed data is available on the Wastewater Monitoring Dashboard.