Interesting. My city tests the waste water for Covid to try to determine actual infection levels. I wonder if this bumps the number up.
buttsnuggles
Interesting. Their use of the phrase “genetic remnants” makes me think this might have been a PCR-type test, yes? If that is the case, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is ‘live’ virus in their gut, as with many other infections you can continue to shed the detritus of broken down pathogens for a long period of time. When we moved away from a culture-type test for c.diff and began using a PCR we had to stop people from asking for a ‘negative test’ as proof they were no longer infected because the PCR test can’t differentiate between intact, ‘live’ virus and the bits of protein left by those infectious agents. But with those same people demonstrating higher rates of GI symptoms, you wonder how heavy the active viral load may have been in their gut. That could be from swallowed respiratory secretions or from the invasion of the virus into the ACE-2 cells lining the intestinal surface.
jsm1031
Isn’t this the science subreddit? What’s with all the idiotic poop jokes?
NfiniteNsight
It’s a good job I’m already practicing social distancing from other people’s poo.
InGenAche
I would be curious how this compares to other viruses
bilgediver