Viral load reduction in Thessaloniki wastewater continues

The continuous downward trend of the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the wastewater of the urban complex of Thessaloniki, reflects the weekly diagram of the evolution of the pandemic in the city, in the relevant research carried out by an interdisciplinary team of AUTh in collaboration with EYATH.

Rationalization of the last measurement, which was completed on Christmas Day, confirms that after a week, where the viral load had remained stable, the de-escalation from December 18 onwards continues at a faster pace.

The latest measures refer to sampling in wastewater, in days that include the partial opening of the market (click away, hairdressers, bookstores, etc.). “The first samples are positive, which also take into account new data on mobility in the city, but we will have to wait for the next measurements to confirm them. In any case, however, reading the data does not allow complacency and relaxation in compliance with the measures, the situation remains fragile, ” the rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and scientifically responsible told APE-MPE of the research project Prof. Nikos Papaioannou.

Asked if through the methodology applied by AUTh’s interdisciplinary team it is possible to detect the mutation of the “British” coronavirus, which is much more contagious, in wastewater, Mr. Papaioannou replied that “it is something that we have the opportunity to give answers and we are already investigating the process of setting up a scientifically precise methodology, the results of which, as well as all those that we have produced so far, will be available to the State ”.

In the attached AUTh diagram, presented by APE-MPE, the sampling days registered in red correspond to more than 500 cases -as announced on the respective days by EODY- the days registered in orange in 100-400 cases and the days registered in green in less than a hundred cases.

The coronavirus evaluation methodology in municipal waste, developed by the AUTh team, streamlines the concentration measurements of the virus genome based on 24 environmental factors, which can alter the measurement results.