Wait, We're Testing Sewage Water In Amarillo For COVID?

Ok, I know we've all noticed it. The numbers on COVID-19 cases have been down for quite some time.

No spikes, nothing alarming about the numbers. It's been seemingly quiet for some time now.

I mentioned the other day how my wife ended up in the ER on Friday. The doctor there told her that they hadn't seen a case of COVID come through there all year. That was pretty amazing and staggering to me. Are you telling me COVID is basically gone?

Nope, it's still here but there's a reason the numbers have been so low lately. It's because more and more people are opting for the at-home tests instead of rushing into the hospital or their doctor's office.

That's where the numbers as far as active cases, new cases, etc. had been coming from. Since people aren't going in there now, they aren't getting the true number of cases.

Now, they don't want to allow that number to stay down it seems. They want an accurate number so people understand and know that COVID is still real and here. So how exactly do you try and get a truer number of cases out there?

You go for a swim in the sewer apparently. No joke, they are testing sewage water now because COVID can be found in human waste. In order to account for all the at-home testing, they're now working the sewage lines to get a better number on how many active cases there are and how many new cases.

Personally, I'm confused by it and don't feel it's the best way to get the numbers, but hey, if it works it works. Enjoy your diving.

The Abandoned St. Anthony's Hospital on Amarillo Boulevard

The 119-year-old abandoned hospital is a fascinating place for any who are lucky enough to be granted the chance to explore.

The sprawling building saw thousands of Amarillo's citizens inside its halls daily, all the the way until it was shuttered in 2001. But there are still incredible artifacts of the all-too-recent past tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the old St. Anthony.

The explorer who took these photographs gave the following information:

"Many rooms were left untouched, we found patient files, old prescriptions, a blood transfusion machine from the 60s, and microscopic slides of breast cancer from the 70s and 80s. I put one picture in here of some heart scans so you can see the dates and diagnosis of the patient, but marked out the patient’s names of course. During a time when mental illness was not understood, 76 exorcisms were documented to have been performed between 1909 and 1931."

Take a look inside the halls of the legendary abandoned St. Anthony's hospital