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The increase in viral load in the wastewater of Attica is worrying in recent days, something that augurs an increase in cases in the already “red” neighborhood of the capital.
Speaking to THEMA 104.6, Professor of Analytical Chemistry Nikos Thomaidis, who monitors the presence of the new coronavirus in Attica wastewater with the Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, stated that “on Sunday we again saw an increase in the viral load in the wastewater, which is worrying and shows us that the cases are in the order of 50 to 60 thousand ”.
According to Thomaidis, with these data, “yes, a March-type quarantine will not happen again, because nobody wants it, but Attica is following the current regime in Thessaloniki, if the measures are not implemented.”
He noted that the sewer indicates where things will go a few days before the EODY tests and clarified that “we saw, for example, a strong increase in viral load on October 20, something that was reflected in the EODY cases a few days later” . .
According to the data, “last week we had a stability in the viral load, which corresponded to 30 to 40 thousand cases”. As he said, “every morning we take the samples from the day before and send them to the infectious diseases committee and the public health committee.”
Observations in the Thessaloniki wastewater showed something similar shortly before the imposition of the closure. In particular, the AUTh estimated the concentration of the SARS-CoV-2 genome at values ten times higher since October 12, 2020, when measurements began to show an epidemiological picture of the city that was deteriorating dramatically.
It is not ruled out that today we have 2,000 cases
Meanwhile, the president of EODY, Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, speaking with ERT, sounded the alarm for 2,000 cases, a figure that was surpassed for the first time last Saturday.
Mr. Arkoumaneas stated that the next few weeks are crucial for the entire country.
Among other things, he stressed that the effectiveness of the measures depends on their monitoring. We all need to know that mobility is the “number one” reason for dispersion. “Especially now that winter is approaching, we, the state and the citizens, must show responsibility,” he said.
Regarding criticism of the government, he said that “criticism is welcome, even in a period of pandemic, but it cannot be said of delays because obviously something that has not been done for decades cannot be done in a few months. Across Europe, the preparation for the second phase has nothing to do with the first, the system this time is much better prepared. We are much better prepared at all levels and even the tests are much more, from 800 at the beginning of the pandemic, last week we reached 30,000 in one day ”.
Blocking clouds
Government spokesman Stelios Petsas spoke about the new emergency measures (SKAI), warning that a generalized closure throughout the country is not ruled out “if we do not comply” with the measures.
“We are preparing for the worst case scenario.” We are taking these measures early so that we can have a more optimistic December, “said the government official, with the prevailing economic perception. Obviously, the great fear of all European governments is May the holidays come with the people locked up in their homes.
Stelios Petsas said that the effectiveness of the measures depends on their faithful observance and that disagreements “can set off planning.”
For which movements from prefecture to prefecture, he stated that the experts have not made any suggestions, however, it is an issue that is being examined.
For the schools, he said there was no problem of dispersion, that’s why they didn’t close. However, for the high schools it was decided to close and implement e-learning in widely dispersed areas.
Regarding ICUs, St. Petsas said that there is a lot of pressure in Thessaloniki, on the health system.
Another five deaths in the last hours
The 647 reached the victims of the new coronavirus, since in the last hours five hospitalized patients succumbed, all of them with underlying diseases.
- a 79-year-old man and an 82-year-old man in Papanikolaou,
- a 73-year-old man in Hippocrates,
- a 92 year old man in Alexandroupolis,
- a 73-year-old man at AHEPA.
