You dirty rats! Researchers find COVID-19 in NYC sewer rodents - New York Post
Researchers investigating mysterious COVID-19 mutations found signs of the virus in the city’s massive rat population — sparking concerns the disease could jump from the vermin to humans.A new study by scientists at the University of Missouri and the USDA identified the virus in New York City rats and also found that some species of the notoriously disease-riddled animals are susceptible to the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants of COVID-19.Along with the virus mutations, scientists also found rat DNA in the samples they were studying, which prompted Lenoch and her colleagues to look at the city’s rodent population as a possible source.While the origins of the cryptic COVID-19 mutations in New York City’s sewers remain a mystery, scientists studying the coronavirus in wastewater have made recent advancements in their ability to trace such variations.