ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — Researchers have identified a unique strain of COVID-19 in Anne Arundel County, and they believe a person living in the area has been infected with COVID for years. It is likely, that that person has no idea.
Marc Johnson is a molecular virologist and professor. He took to X, formerly Twitter, to ask for help finding the person who may have unknowingly been infected with SARS-CoV-2 for about 3 years.
"They probably don’t even know they are infected, but they are shedding a ton of viral material in wastewater," Johnson said on X. "I’m trying to find this person without invading their privacy, if they are willing to be found."
When an infected person "sheds" they can pass the infection on to other people. Johnson says one resident has been shedding a large amount of viral material into the Patuxent sewer shed, which serves about 78,000 people.
"To make a very long story shot, we eventually figured out that this is coming from patients that have been infected with COVID for a very long time, so they have basically their own string because it's mutated over time," Johnson told WUSA9 on Thursday.
He believes the resident's gastrointestinal (GI) tract is infected, which could be hard to diagnose without special tests.
Johnson is working with state and county health departments to help bring awareness to local physicians, clinics, and specialists in the Crofton, Odenton and Severn areas. He says finding the person is important not just for their health but for public health research due to their infection contributing to wastewater COVID spikes.