Michigan scientists have spent years monitoring beach safety by testing the water for pathogens. But now, amid a global pandemic, some researchers are using those same techniques to tack rates of COVID-19 infection. And instead of wading into lake waters, theyre sifting through human waste to find the novel coronavirus.

Thankfully I have two, wonderful, 20-year-old male students who have no problem working with it, said Tami Sivy, chemistry professor at Saginaw Valley.

Sivy and her team of two students have been testing wastewater collected from various waste treatment facilities in the area since April. Its an effort they believe will allow communities to know theyre experiencing a coronavirus surge days before human test results.

But for Sivy and other researchers, the work started at the beach.

For the last five years, the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has been working with labs across the state to train them in quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or qPCR methods to provide beach monitoring, said Shannon Briggs, toxicologist in the Water Resources Division of EGLE.

Its a genetic testing method that turns around faster results than previous methods used to test for E. coli on beaches.

And we thought, Why would we want to know tomorrow if we should have swam today? Briggs said.

If a human has been infected with coronavirus, traces of the virus show up in their feces. Scientists are then able to collect samples from wastewater plants and test it for the presence of the virus by looking for the specific sequences in the genetic code that are indicators of the virus being present.

When they collect wastewater they arent working with active virus, because while the virus travels through the digestive track, its effectively killed and researchers dont need the virus to be active to detect it in waste.

Were used to thinking of DNA as genomic material, Sivy said. This virus is an RNA virus, so it has a different type of genomic material.

In the wastewater sample, theyre specifically looking for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, which is responsible for the novel coronavirus. That lets them track how much virus in a given community. But the question then became, what should the researchers do with this data?

We cant just release the results to the public because, number one, theyre not going to necessarily understand. And, number two, you dont want to cause any sort of panic, Sivy said.

Saginaw Valley and other labs work with local health departments of the areas they are sampling. If they see something concerning, they call the health department to warn them that the area could be experiencing a surge in cases - sometimes up to five days before human testing shows an increase.

At Michigan State University, researchers are testing wastewater samples once a week. In June they saw a peak in the amount of virus in the wastewater. They later realized that the peak coincided with an outbreak at Harpers bar in downtown East Lansing.

Harpers bar was connected to more than 180 cases of COVID-19. Harpers remains closed pending authorization to reopen from the Ingham County Health Department.

So now were saying, okay, if we could get this result faster, if we could get it to somebody, and somebody like in public health could go in and maybe improve the messaging, look at whats going on, maybe close activities down that are leading to spread of the virus a little faster, said Joan Rose, water microbiology professor at MSU and Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research.

Rose said they want to be able to help public health departments, because theyre of course overwhelmed.

Right now, Roses lab is streamlining its testing, she said, and improving the communication with the local health department. Theyve been providing reports to the health departments and theyve spoken with people in the state Department of Health and Human Services, she said.

With students returning to campus soon, Rose said, the testing method will be helpful to track any spread of the virus on campus and be used to supplement testing the university says it will require of symptomatic students and students who may have been exposed.

At the end of July, MSU emailed students to notify them that students living at Holmes Hall, a summer residence hall, had tested positive for COVID-19.

This type of testing cant tell researchers exactly how many people are infected, instead it provides a snapshot of how a community is doing compared to previous weeks. But it could be used to monitor specific areas, like nursing homes, Rose said.

So that if the sewage is negative coming out of a nursing home, they dont have to be tested all the time, she said.

And if we start to see the virus show up or start going up, can you do something quickly before you spread it around to this very sensitive population where mortality is quite a concern, Rose said.

Other labs across the state are working toward using qPCR methods to track coronavirus infection rates.

Oakland University is putting together a public-private partnership to test wastewater in the greater Detroit area and beyond.

Its is working with a private company called Aquasight which has, according to its website, developed a full-service program with sample design and logistics, ddPCR testing lab capabilities, data modeling, digital dashboard and heat maps.

Oakland Universitys lab will work with Aquasight to set up a sewage testing facility. Macomb County Public Works and MSU are also involved with the project, with pilot testing being done in Clinton Township.

The Oakland lab has been using qPCR methods since around 2014, said David Szlag, environmental science associate professor at Oakland University. But he said they want to start testing sewage for COVID-19 because its can help provide public health officials and politicians with usable data to help manage things like allocation of personal protection materials and school or industry closings.

We can see a signal in the sewage about a week before you see that increase in clinical cases. Because were testing the whole community, were catching the asymptomatic people, Szlag said.

The turnaround for the sewage tests is about 24 to 36 hours, Szlag said.

Were going to basically be able to test 100,000 people twice a week, he said. And basically see is the amount of virus increasing or decreasing in this community. And that will precede or lead the clinical data.

The Upper Peninsula could also start seeing wastewater monitoring for COVID-19.

Josh Sharp is an associate professor of Biology at Northern Michigan University. This is their first year doing beach monitoring for e-coli, but theyre already looking to utilize the qPCR methods to test for COVID-19.

Sharp said their lab has done some preliminary studies and shipped wastewater samples to Michigan State, but they still need to train students and staff on using the qPCR method in this way. They also need money for equipment and are currently looking for state and federal funding sources, Sharp said.

The use of this type of testing for COVID-19 has been growing.

Labs across the United States and the world are communicating with each other as part of a global effort to learn from each other to improve the testing methods, Rose from MSU said. And she believes that Michigan labs could play a significant role.

Michigan could really lead the way because theres a lot of interest from across the state, Rose said. Im hearing more communities and more utilities saying Oh I wonder if we can monitor here.

MSU is going to start looking at the cases against the wastewater results from back in April to compare how many cases they were finding in a community with human testing versus how much was found in the sewage, Rose said.

She said Michigan is primed to take a statewide approach, To really watch whats going on, implement prudently, control measures and remind the public and all of us that we can move forward with this and control, hopefully, the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/.

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