One possible explanation for these “cryptic lineages” is that they can be traced back to people who have been living with a chronic – and serious – Covid-19 infection for years.
In a recent preprint study, about two dozen researchers set out to understand the origin of these cryptic lineages by closely examining the evolution of one from Wisconsin.
Right now, the cryptic lineages do not pose a public health threat, she said.
Wastewater surveillance is inherently messy, and lots of factors can interfere with interpretation of the data, she said.
Johnson says that people with chronic infections that could be behind these cryptic lineages might have unexplained symptoms.
Persons:
Marc Johnson, Johnson, it’s, ”, Amy Kirby, ” Kirby, ” Johnson, We’ve, IE2GB6CwPO — Marc Johnson, “ Don’t, “ I’m
Organizations:
CNN, University of Missouri, US Centers for Disease Control, Surveillance, Kirby, Washington Court House
Locations:
United States, Wisconsin, Ohio, Columbus, Washington