An unusual way to measure COVID cases shows Omicron is still increasing in Oregon

(JANUARY 21, 2022) Omicron is one type of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It's very active now, causing many people around the world to get sick. However, health officials predict that the number of cases caused by Omicron will decline quickly -- and soon. This has already happened in some parts of the country. But it hasn't happened yet in Oregon.

COVID test results can measure how many COVID cases are specifically the Omicron type, or variant. But some health officials are watching another source of data: poop. More accurately, researchers are measuring the level of the COVID virus -- including Omicron -- in community sewage. Sewage is wastewater that includes bodily waste from toilets. That bodily waste can show the level of the coronavirus in a community.

In Boston, for example, scientists recently sampled their wastewater. They started to see lower amounts of the Omicron variant around January 12. A few days later, case counts measured by testing also dropped. Scientists believe a correlation (connection) exists between the two data points.

Local health officials hope the same thing will happen in Oregon soon.

Blythe Layton works for Clean Water Services in Washington County. She manages a laboratory that works with area scientists and universities. It measures the virus in different ways, including sewage. She says the measurements of the virus in wastewater are still climbing higher.

However, it takes a lot of time and money to process the wastewater samples. So this measurement is not fast or common yet. But Layton says it is still a good tool. That is because while not everyone gets tested, everyone's sewage eventually goes to the wastewater treatment plant. In other words, the results are more comprehensive.

Layton thinks Oregon will see a drop in Omicron cases, too. It might just take more time. But her laboratory's measurements of the virus in sewage will likely predict the drop a few days early.