Dr. Rick Neitzel and several other researchers are developing methods to detect COVID-19 virus in the environment and on surfaces around the Ann Arbor campus. This approach will provide an additional perspective from the work of other researchers, which has focused mostly on epidemiological approaches such as tracking infection rates.
They are looking in sewers, on campus buses and in classrooms, in hopes of figuring out if the virus is now present in the community or exactly where it might be coming from and how much it is present.
By making measurements before the start of the semester, and then continuing to sample the same locations over time as students, staff and faculty come back to campus, they hope to figure out how the amount of virus in the environment relates to infection rates.
Dr. Rick Neitzel was interviewed by WEMU to talk about more. Check out the full article, From Sewers To Classroom Surfaces One UM Prof & Researcher Looking For Sources Of COVID-19 On Campus, for all the details!
Exposure Research Lab 