SA Health refuses to reveal latest wastewater coronavirus test results
SA Health says it is refusing to give running updates on COVID detections in sewage because it would only spread fear.
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SA Health is refusing to share the latest COVID-19 wastewater test results because they “don’t want to scare people”.
A spokeswoman said the “sentinel service” provided by SA Water was valuable as an “early warning” for SA Health but the results of weekly testing would not routinely be made public.
“We will let you know if there’s any update to provide,” she said.
In November, SA Water expanded wastewater testing for COVID-19 to home in on hot spots through a network of 22 sampling locations across the city.
The first complete survey of Adelaide’s wastewater revealed two COVID-19 hotspot locations.
SA Health told The Advertiser that virus particles were detected in one sample of sewage taken on Tuesday November 24 in the CBD and one sample of sewage taken in Glenelg on Wednesday November 25.
“Both of these positive samples have been collected in areas linked to positive cases associated with the Parafield Cluster and the medi-hotel,” a spokeswoman said at the time, in a statement.
“Wastewater testing cannot determine whether a case is an old or new infection.”
SA Health will not release the results of the second complete survey of wastewater at the 22 locations, which would have been sampled around Tuesday December 1 and Wednesday December 2.
A third round of sampling and testing would be taking place this week, with results due at SA Health today.
Now that positive cases have “recovered” and been released from hotel quarantine, it’s likely more sewage samples have tested positive across Adelaide.
However just because the virus can be detected in sewage doesn’t mean a person is infectious.
Positive cases can shed the dead virus in faeces for around six weeks after being cleared.
“Testing wastewater provides an additional source of information with regards to the virus in the community,” the SA Health spokeswoman said.
“Oral and nasal PCR testing remains the best method for detecting COVID-19 in SA.
“These results can however help us inform additional surveillance strategies, such as increased clinical testing in certain areas.
“We strongly encourage everyone with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested.”
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