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The highly contagious British variant is spreading rapidly in Houston, Texas, a new analysis has revealed.
On Monday, the Houston Department of Health revealed that the variant, known as B.1.1.7, was found in more than three-quarters of the city’s wastewater treatment plants in samples taken on the 22nd. February.
That’s 47 percent higher than the number of plants that the strain was detected just two weeks earlier.
The scan was conducted just a week before Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that the state end the mask mandate and allow businesses to fully reopen in Texas on March 10.
“The prevalence of the British variant in our wastewater shows that it is actively spreading in our city,” said Dr David Persse, chief medical officer for the city of Houston, in a statement.
“This is another clear indication that we need to continue to mask ourselves, practice social distancing, wash our hands, get tested and get vaccinated when possible.”
A new analysis from February 22 found traces of the highly contagious British variant in 79% of Houston’s wastewater treatment plants, or 31 out of 39. This is an increase from February 8, when the variant was released. was found in samples from 21 of the factories, about 47%
Of the wastewater samples tested in the last run, about a fifth had the variant, known as B.1.1.7. Pictured: Aerial view of a water treatment facility in the South Texas area, just south of Houston.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 101 cases of the British variant are in Texas. Of those cases, at least 23 pre-print paper found is in Houston
Wastewater testing – water from toilets flowing through a drainage system to a treatment facility – has been used for years to track a number of public health issues.
Wastewater monitoring is currently used in several countries to monitor the circulation of the poliovirus, notably in Israel and India. It has also been used in several cities in Europe to track the spread of opioids.
Researchers found that infected people shed viruses, or viral genetic material, in their urine and stool.
Scientists believe this surveillance system could provide a better estimate of the extent of the disease’s spread, as it would include people with mild symptoms or no symptoms.
In fact, the virus can be detected in feces within three days of a person’s infection, before most people show symptoms.
The Houston Department of Health and Houston Water began testing the city’s wastewater in May 2020 to better identify outbreaks.
The analysis was conducted on February 22, when officials collected sewage samples from 39 factories in the city.
The results showed that samples from 31 of the factories had traces of B.1.1.7., Indicating its presence in 79 percent of the installations.
This is an increase from an analysis two weeks earlier, on February 8, which found the variant in samples from 21 of the processing plants, or about 47 percent.
Of the sewage samples collected on February 22, around 19% detected the UK variant.
“ I am concerned about this new data on the British strain of the virus in Houston, particularly at a time when the state of Texas is relaxing mandates on measures proven to reduce transmission and ultimately save lives, ” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in a statement. .
This is in reference to the coronavirus restrictions eased in Texas by order of Greg Abbott as of Wednesday.
The coronavirus can be detected in a person’s stool within three days of infecting a person, before most people show symptoms, as B.1.1.7 continues to spread in the United States.
Tuner continued, “ Despite the mixed messages, this makes it clear that it is too early to stop demanding masks in public places. I urge all Houstonians to continue to mask themselves to protect their families and their community.
The Houston Department of Health is currently testing wastewater samples in a bid to track other highly transmissible variants.
Among these are variants from South Africa, Brazil and California, but results are still pending.
Last week, a preprinted Houston Methodist study found cases of each variant, including from the UK, South Africa, Brazil, New York and California, in the city – the first of the country to do so.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 101 cases of the British variant are in Texas. Of those cases, the article found at least 23 are in Houston.
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