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Home My WebLink About17.a. Monthly Lab Update: Covid-19/Wastewater Epidemiology UpdatePage 1 of 5 Item 17.a. LICENTRAL SAN September 21, 2023 FROM: BLAKE BROWN, LABORATORY SUPERVISING CHEMIST REVIEWED BY: LORI SCHECTEL, ENVIRONMENTAL & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE DIVISION MANAGER GREG NORBY, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT: MONTHLYLAB UPDATE: COVID-19/WASTEWATER EPIDEMIOLOGY UPDATE Staff has provided the Wastewater Based Epidemiology Update as Attachment 1 and will be available to answer questions. Strategic Plan re -In GOAL FOUR: Governance and Fiscal Responsibility Strategy 1 - Promote and uphold ethical behavior, openness, and accessibility GOAL FIVE: Safety and Security Strategy 1 - Reduce and eliminate risks of injury or illness, Strategy 2 - Protect personnel and assets from threats and emergencies ATTACHMENTS: 1. Monthly COVI D-19 & Wastewater Epidemiology Update 09-21-23 September 21, 2023 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 143 of 174 September 21, 2023, Board Meeting Wastewater Based Epidemiology Update Context & Background Page 2 of 5 Attachment 1 Prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there was little infrastructure to support a global, national, or regional epidemiological surveillance program. Since 2020, Central San has participated in local and national efforts to advance wastewater surveillance as a reputable source of information. There is now a mature program for the trending and monitoring of seasonal and emerging respiratory pathogens and the ability to mobilize if there is a threat of an outbreak pathogen. This monthly memo will provide an update on Wastewater Based Epidemiology (WBE) on the local and national scale and Central San's COVID-19 Exposure Prevention Plan. Central San Surveillance Data & Summary COVID-19 From the SARS-CoV-2 Data for Central San's service area from WastewaterSCAN (as of 9/1/23), the graph below shows an uptick in prevalence starting at the end of August. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) From the RSV data from WastewaterSCAN (as of 9/1/23), the graph below shows a small uptick starting at the end of August 2023. Regionally, there are seven sites (Contra Costa County, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley Clean Water -Redwood City, Sacramento, San Jose, and San Leandro) with an upward trend clustered in the Bay Area; public health is watching these closely to see if they might signify the onset of an RSV wastewater event. Last year, we saw RSV onset in wastewater occur as early as mid- to late September in the Bay Area. WastewaterSCAN Data for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as of 9/1/23. Timeframe is 4/2022-8/2023. September 21, 2023 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 144 of 174 I- lia 100 2 a° A oa 6� s° a a 30 ]° An, .0 WastewaterSCAN Data for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as of 9/1/23. Timeframe is 4/2022-8/2023. September 21, 2023 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 144 of 174 Page 3 of 5 September 21, 2023, Board Meeting Wastewater Based Epidemiology Update Central San's Wastewater Based Epidemiology Partnership Updates Central San is currently providing samples to three partner laboratories contributing to the wastewater surveillance system. The three partners are WastewaterSCAN, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and Biobot through the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). Below is an update on each of the programs. WastewaterSCAN (Verily) Central San sends three samples per week of primary sludge to WastewaterSCAN, and the program is currently funded through July 2024. WastewaterSCAN will be adding five new pathogens starting in September. The new pathogens are Enterovirus D 68, Human Adenovirus Group F, Rotavirus, Candia auris, and Hepatitis A. Data can be found here: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/?plantld=57573845-4bdb-4cfe-8fc2- 986d5af188cc&charts=Ci8QACABSABaBk4gR2VuZXlKMOAyMy0wNy0xMH I KMjAyMyO wOCOyMYoBBmizMWQ2Zg%3D%3D&selectedChartid=b31 d6f California Department of Public Health's (CDPH) Drinking Water and Radiation Lab (DWRL) Central San sends three samples per week of raw influent to the California Department of Public Health's Drinking Water and Radiation Lab (DWRL), and the program is funded through July of 2025. In late August, CDPH reached out to Central San and Delta Diablo regarding positive wastewater detections of MPDX within the service area samples. CDPH approached WastewaterSCAN about collaborating on a validation study of the MPDX detections. As part of the validation, CDPH and WastewaterSCAN have requested Central San to send split raw influent samples to both labs. The split influent samples would be in addition to the three primary sludge samples per week sent to WastewaterSCAN. The Central San lab will start to send split samples for a duration of six weeks for the method validation and confirmation of detections starting in September. COVID-19 Data from CDPH be found here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-1 9/CalSuWers- Dashboard.aspx Biobot Partnered with National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) Central San sends two samples per week of raw influent to Biobot. The Biobot contract for the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) ended in July, but the CDC has extended the Biobot contract to September 14, 2023, until the RFP for the next phase has been approved. After that, there may be a new laboratory for the NWSS database. Data can be found here: httas://biobot.io/data/#county-6013.0 September 21, 2023 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 145 of 174 Page 4 of 5 September 21, 2023, Board Meeting Wastewater Based Epidemiology Update National Update Nationally, the SARS-CoV-2 concentrations at most plants are rising. Below are the concentrations from all participating WWSCAN sites across the country; raw data are shown as blue dots, and the population weighted average is shown as a bold black line. Current COVID levels are somewhat lower than what was seen at the beginning of 2023as of September 1, 2023. iris a =1, T9PA —a— - — • . - 1,400 t a �! • ♦ ar i• � • 'art i • � � ZN + • O • • f+� •• •� .a•• • •.• + • +0 16 r e� 1200 • 7 •— a • o € 800 r � +� • ` 1 � •� •! 600CY • • r a ° r a 400 -a 200 a _ 0 2022 Apr J;! 2023 ;,.fir Jul Collection pate + Sample ccllecled O Non-Mecl • A11 Salaam! Weathm (Average) Multiple Iocallflns Graphic from WastewaterSCAN Newsletter, September 1, 2023 Central San COVID-19 Exposure Prevention Plan Central San's COVID-19 Exposure Prevention Plan, last revised in early 2022, is still in effect, and all District employees are still subject to the provisions set forth in the table below. Central San still conducts contact tracing based on whether other employees had close contact (6 feet or less) or shared air space (400,000 cubic feet) with the positive employee. At this time, those employees who have had close contact are required to quarantine and test, and those who have shared the same air space can continue to work onsite as long as they test and wear a mask. In some cases, employees who may have had close contact with the positive employee but whose absence may result in an adverse operational impact may continue to work onsite as long as they receive approval from Human Resources, continue to remain asymptomatic, test, and wear a mask. September 21, 2023 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 146 of 174 Page 5 of 5 September 21, 2023, Board Meeting Wastewater Based Epidemiology Update Actions Required in Actual or Suspected Exposure Scenarios: Scenario Immediate Action Employee has COVID-19 symptoms • Stay home and immediately begin self -isolation. • Take PCR or Antigen COVID-19 test. o If positive, see scenario for COVID-19 positive (e.g., fever, dry cough, sore throat, diarrhea, employee. o If negative, you may return to work when symptoms runny nose, headache, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing) improve. Employee is exposed to COVID-19 positive • Stay home and immediately begin self -isolation for a individual period of 5 days. • Take PCR or Antigen COVID-19 test on or after day 5. o If positive, see scenario for COVID-19 positive Close Contacts are someone who was less employee. o If negative and have no symptoms, you may return to than 6 feet away from an infected person work on Day 6. (laboratory -confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) . If you do not get tested, you will be required to self -isolate for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more for 10 days and can return to work on Day 11 with no over a 24-hour period. For example, three required testing. individual 5 -minute exposures for a total of 15 . If you are fully vaccinated and are without symptoms, you minutes. are not required to stay home from work if: 1. A negative diagnostic test is obtained within 3-5 days after the last exposure to a known case. 2. Wears a well -fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days. 3. Continue to have no symptoms. Employee is COVID-19 Positive • Stay home and immediately begin self -isolation for a period of 5 days. • Take PCR or Antigen COVID-19 test on or after day 5. Individuals with or without symptoms and have o If positive, continue to self -isolate for a total of 10 days, had a COVID Antigen or Molecular (PCR and you can return to work on Day 11 if asymptomatic. tests, viral RNA tests, nucleic acid tests) test. o If negative and have no symptoms, you may return to work on Day 6 but must wear a well -fitting mask until after 10 days from symptom onset or the original positive test if you are asymptomatic. Employee is exposed to household member . Stay home and immediately begin self -isolation for a who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms period of 5 days. • If you are unable to self -isolate from household members, you must quarantine for a period of 5 days after your household member has either tested negative (proof is required) or for a total of 10 days after the household member's symptom onset. • Take PCR or Antigen COVID-19 test on or after day 5. o If positive, see scenario for COVID-19 positive employee. o If negative and have no symptoms, you may return to work on Day 6 if able to self -isolate or Day 16 if unable. September 21, 2023 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 147 of 174