Two Years Into The Pandemic, Hawaii Is Finally Poised To Test Its Sewage For Covid … Poop might hold the key to tracking the virus, but the state has struggled to bring its wastewater testing laboratory online.
After a series of short-lived efforts by state and county agencies, Hawaii is finally primed to launch its own program to test sewage for coronavirus this summer – nearly two and a half years into the pandemic.
As scientists and policy makers struggled to control this once-in-a-century pandemic, wastewater testing emerged in 2020 as a promising tool for keeping track of the virus, boasting the ability to predict Covid-19 surges in communities days before symptoms emerge and nasal swabs start coming back positive.
Seeing this potential, the Hawaii Department of Health had hoped to bring its wastewater testing laboratory online sooner, but health officials say shortages in equipment and qualified staff, delays in federal funding and the unique challenge of working with partners an ocean away led to the years-long wait.
