The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About06.d. Monthly Lab Update: Covid-19/Wastewater Epidemiology Update Page 1 of 9 Item 6.d. CENTRALSAN Jdf A- hom CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT April 25, 2024 TO: HONORABLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM: BLAKE BROWN, LABORATORY PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR REVIEWED BY: LORI SCHECTEL, ENVIRONMENTAL & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE DIVISION MANAGER GREG NORBY, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER - OPERATIONS 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 and Wastewater Epidemiology Update Memo April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 85 of 110 Page 2 of 9 April 25, 2024 Wastewater Based Epidemiology Memo Update Context & Background 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 COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. It can be very contagious and spreads quickly. COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms similar to cold, flu, or pneumonia. From the SARS-CoV-2 data for Central San's service area from WastewaterSCAN (as of March 26, 2024), the graph below shows a steady decline in concentration starting at the beginning of February. 900 Soo S 70❑ aa a= m£ 600 x ma 5D0 c m 1 `o 40❑ =z a Soo Gr� c 200 1❑❑ Apr JUT Oct 2023 Apr hI Oct 2024 Figure 1:WastewaterSCAN Data for SARS-CoV-2 as of March 26, 2024. Timeframe is April 2022-March 2024. 1 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 86 of 110 Page 3 of 9 Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. From the RSV data for Central San's service area from WastewaterSCAN (as of March 26, 2024), the graph below shows an uptick starting in the middle of March. 120 no 100 c 0 90 t.€ 84 u v y 70 V , c E fiO O Z 50 3 AO Cr g a 30 20 10 O Apr Jul Oct 2023 Apr Jul Oct 2024 Figure 2:WastewaterSCAN Data for Respiratory Syncytial Virus(RSV)as of March 26,2024. Timeframe is April 2022-March 2024. Influenza A (IAV) RNA Influenza A is a highly contagious virus that causes respiratory illness with symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, sneezing, sore throat, and cough. From the Influenza A data for Central San's service area from WastewaterSCAN (as of March 26, 2024), the graph below shows a steady decline in concentration starting at the beginning of January. 2 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 87 of 110 Page 4 of 9 130 120 11❑ T 100 2 a E V7C 80 �+L 7° 10 c E 60 T O Z 50 2 40 c 30 20 10 a Apr Jul Oct 2023 Apr Jul Oct 2024 Figure 3:WastewaterSCAN Data for Influenza A as of March 26, 2024. Timeframe is Apri12022-March 2024. Norovirus Norovirus is a very contagious gastrointestinal virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Norovirus is sometimes referred to as the `stomach flu' or `stomach bug'; however, Norovirus is not related to the flu, which is caused by the influenza virus. From the Norovirus data for Central San's service area from WastewaterSCAN (as of March 26, 2024), the graph below shows an uptick starting at the beginning of March. 65.000 60,000 55.000 c � 0 50.0fl0 v= m E 45.000 x 4QO00 W 35.000 3DAOO T O 7 25.000 q O p:C. 20.OD0 C. 35.DOD l0.OD0 5.000 D 2023 Apr Jul Oct 2024 Figure 4:WastewaterSCAN Data for Norovirus as of March 26, 2024. Timeframe is December 2022-March 2024. 3 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 88 of 110 Page 5 of 9 Central San's Wastewater Based Epidemiology Partnership Updates Central San is currently providing samples for three programs that contribute to the wastewater surveillance system. The three partners are WastewaterSCAN, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). Below is an update on each of the programs. WastewaterSCAN (Verily Life Sciences, LLC) Central San sends three samples of primary sludge per week to WastewaterSCAN, and the program is currently funded through July 2024. Verily Life Sciences, LLC was awarded the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) contract for the fourth phase of sampling. Central San is participating in two wastewater-based epidemiology programs with Verily. As part of the NWSS program, Verily will analyze for pathogens in the wastewater matrix to align with the prior program data. For the WastewaterSCAN program, Verily will continue to analyze pathogens in the primary sludge matrix. Data can be found here: https://data.wastewaterscan.orq/?plantld=57573845-4bdb-4cfe-8fc2- 986d5af188cc&charts=Ci8QACABSABaBk4gR2VuZXIKM'AyMy0wNy0xMHl KM!AyMyOwOC OyMYoBBmlzMWQ2Zg%3D%3D&selectedChartld=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 2025. COVID-19 Data from CDPH be found here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVI D-19/CalSuWers- Dashboard.aspx National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) in September 2020. CDC developed NWSS to coordinate and build the nation's capacity to track the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wastewater samples collected across the country. Three phases of the NWSS program have been completed, and the fourth phase began in December 2023. Phase one took place in January and February of 2021, assessed up to 100 treatment plants representing -10% of the US population, and was contracted through AquaVitas, LLC to perform the sample analysis and data reduction. Phase two took place from June to August of 2021, assessed 340 treatment plants representing -30% of the US population, and was contracted through Biobot Analytics, Inc. Phase three was initially planned to take 4 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 89 of 110 Page 6 of 9 place from December 2021 to December 2022 but was extended to September 14, 2023. Phase three assessed —500 treatment plants and was performed through Biobot Analytics, Inc. On September 26, 2023, the phase four contract was awarded to Verily Life Sciences, LLC. On October 16, 2023, Biobot Analytics, Inc. protested the Verily commercial testing contract. The new contract was on hold until the protest was reviewed by the Government Accountability Office and dismissed on November 16, 2023. As of December 1, 2023, Central San will resume sampling until September 14, 2025, with extension options on a month-to-month basis thereafter until September 14, 2028. Unlike the other WastewaterSCAN program that Central San is currently participating in, the NWSS program sampling will be raw influent. Data can be found here: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance. 5 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 90 of 110 Page 7 of 9 National Update COVID-19 Nationally, the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 shows a downward trend over the past 21 days. Below is the population-weighted average of the SARS-CoV-2 N gene concentrations from all participating WastewaterSCAN sites across the country over the last 365 days. ,,aou I.DW OW s` 9PP vnd a� sba } a06 soo a0p �00 AN MSY Jon JA Aug sc.fj MW C.alloCl a1n:1 rr Figure 5:Graphic from WastewaterSCAN Newsletter, March 22, 2024 Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Nationally, the concentration of RSV has been on a downward trend over the past 21 days; however, more than 50 percent of sites are showing an onset of RSV in wastewater. Below is the population-weighted average of the RSV RNA concentrations for all participating WastewaterSCAN sites across the country over the last 365 days. 110 100 90 so �X m V s0 MAI O C 40 > 30 a � 10 0 - - Apr Jul Oct 2024 Collection Date Figure 6:Graphic from WastewaterSCAN Newsletter, March 22, 2024 6 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 91 of 110 Page 8 of 9 Influenza A (IAV) RNA Nationally, the Influenza A (IAV) RNA concentration is considered to be in the `high' category for WastewaterSCAN but has exhibited a downward trend over the past 21 days. Below is the population-weighted average for all participating WastewaterSCAN sites across the country over the last 365 days. 300 280 260 le 4 240 rn= 220 % 200 180 18U o 140 120 100 so �a 80 40 20 0 Apr Jul Oct 2024 CoNeciian Date Figure 7:Graphic from WastewaterSCAN Newsletter,March 22,2024. 7 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 92 of 110 Page 9 of 9 Norovirus Nationally, the Norovirus concentration is considered to be in the `high' category for WastewaterSCAN, but has exhibited a downward trend over the past 21 days. Below is the population-weighted average for all participating WastewaterSCAN sites across the country over the last 365 days. 55.000 50,000 45.000 0 a 40.000 x 35.000 ei�- m 30.000 N {9 o � 25.000 p Z 20.000 D M 15.000 10.000 5.000 0 Apr Jul 06 2024 Collection Date Figure 8:Graphic from WastewaterSCAN Newsletter,March 22, 2024. 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 its provisions. 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. 8 April 25, 2024 Special Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 93 of 110