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The rate of decline in the concentration of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in municipal waste from the urban complex of Thessaloniki showed a significant slowdown last week, according to research conducted by an interdisciplinary team from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in collaboration with EYATH .
The multiparametric environmental rationalization of the measurements, completed today for the samples taken from the wastewater on November 25, 27 and 30, shows that in relation to the corresponding calculation, carried out last Wednesday, the viral load is still at high levels, but also the dynamics of a rapid improvement of the epidemiological picture of the city have stopped.
“We are concerned about the findings. The viral load reduction rate is significantly lower, since the de-escalation began, which was registered for the first time in the analysis of the sample on November 18 and continued in the following days with a rate of reduction of up to 50% “. “In recent days, it seems that we are tending more to a stabilization than to a clear improvement of the image,” the rector of AUTh and head of the research project, Prof. Nikos Papaioannou, told APE-MPE.
Asked about how these findings are interpreted, the rector explained that de-escalation is slow, precisely because the viral load is very high, which means that the spread in the community is great, the cases are still many and the measures need more time to complete. bear fruit. .
“Without a doubt, the wastewater panorama shows that it is premature to discuss any lifting of the restrictive measures in the coming days and it is extremely dangerous to have the slightest relaxation in terms of citizens’ compliance with the measures. I would say that we are at an inflection point that will judge how the situation will develop in the city, how many more human losses we will measure, how much pressure will be placed on the health system, how much the socioeconomic effects of the pandemic will increase, ”emphasized Mr. Papaioannou, pointing out the critical situation. .
We all need to understand that we are at a point where things can develop smoothly and little by little recover our life, but they can also develop very badly, get out of control, if we consider that the difficulties have passed and we are complacent. It is reasonable that there is fatigue in society, but any deviation from strict compliance with the measures can only lead to extension and hardening ”, he clarified.
The coronavirus evaluation methodology in municipal waste, developed by the AUTh team, streamlines the measurements of the virus genome concentration based on 24 environmental factors, which can alter the measurement results. The research involves professors from 11 different laboratories from the Departments of Medicine, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Biology, Civil Engineering, Spatial Planning and Development Engineering.
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