Trace amounts of the genetic structure of SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been found at some beaches of Duluth.
Dr. Richard Melvin is with the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. He says his team was testing this summer a theory that infected people, beachgoers, brought the virus.
“The way it would get there is through fecal material. It’s common beaches become contaminated with fecal material due to people swimming there,” says Melvin.
The University professor adds it does not necessarily mean people physically brought the virus, or that COVID-19 is even at the beaches in infectious ways, but could have impacted the nearby environment enough for the genetic structure to make it there.”
As for who may have brought it, or if it was somehow through the environment, remains to be seen.
“Things like this are eventually going to show up in the environment. We don’t know how widespread this is, if it’s a local phenomenon, or if it’s more widespread,” says Dr. Melvin.
He points out this helps to learn about the virus and deal with future pandemics. He also says current health protocols, such as mask-wearing, is still the best way to prevent the virus.
The discovery of SARS-COV-2 does suggest the virus is present in the community near the lake. It’s also a shakeup for their study of COVID-19.
“The finding doesn’t fit with our original hypothesis, that beachgoers would be responsible for bringing it there. But there are other things that happen in the environment around communities that make us a little less surprised.”
Melvin says a possibility of sewage bringing the samples to the lake is one theory. But there are many factors which could have done this as well. He adds globally, the virus has been found in sewage, with water treatment plants being very effective in destroying the virus.
Melvin says they have told the Minnesota Department of Health, local health authorities, and residents in the area who will need to be more cautious around the water.
