3 ms·
This is neat, but a little scary. If I'm understanding it correctly, they are checking sewage for evidence of the virus, and estimating how many people have it
by dec0dedab0de 7y ago
This is neat, but a little scary. If I'm understanding it correctly, they are checking sewage for evidence of the virus, and estimating how many people have it based on that. This would be really cool if it were common place, and tested for all known viruses, drugs, fungus, bacteria, lead, whatever they can find. This could be used to track the health of the population over time and as it spreads. If it were publicly available this would be a great resource.
The scary part is what if they start making the sewage sites smaller and smaller, or even just the collection locations to where its testing fewer people. Then use that information to enact quarantines or investigations.
- jimbokun 7y ago> Then use that information to enact quarantines or investigations. That's exactly what we want! Quarantine the specific areas where there is an outbreak, and relax the nation wide quarantines currently being enacted in many countries.
- zepto 7y agoOnly if you have an extraordinarily transparent process for determining when a quarantine is appropriate.
- zepto 7y agoThat’s why you need a constitutional safeguard against depriving people of their freedoms.
- praptak 7y agoThe scary part is already happening to drug users. The police in China are analyzing sewage to pinpoint who uses illegal drugs.