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The concentration of your genome continues to increase remarkably SARS-CoV-2 in effluent of the urban complex Thessaloniki.
Last week, between October 12 and 14, AUTh’s interdisciplinary research team, which in collaboration with ΕΥΑΘ systematically analyzes -every two days- samples of municipal wastewater at the entrance to the Thessaloniki Wastewater Treatment Plant, calculated one dramatic increase in coronavirus vectors in the city – of the order of 290% in the viral load of wastewater, where symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers are included. This trend was reflected after six days in the confirmed cases for Thessaloniki that were announced by EODY.
It is recalled that throughout September the SARS-CoV-2 genome concentration in municipal wastewater from Thessaloniki was marginally detectable by the AUTh team. In fact, on October 5, Thessaloniki posted the most positive performance with only two reported cases out of a total of 303 across the country, while a week later, on October 12, 6 cases were announced.
Yesterday, October 21, 181 cases were announced in Thessaloniki, which gave an alarm signal to the health authorities about the course of the pandemic in the city. Currently and with a reference date of October 12, 2020 in the measurements in the city’s wastewater there is an increase in the concentration of SARS-Cov-2 of the order of 500%.
«In the next few days we expect confirmed cases to remain at high levels, with an increasing trend. With reference to October 12, when the upward trend began to be recorded, this week we measured the viral load concentration twice, when the previous one was three times higher. That is, in total since October 12 we are five times more. The data so far are completely reliable, since in the analyzes we have performed triple repetitions and applied advanced sample processing methods and then rationalized the measured values, based on the daily variations of the environmental parameters in the wastewater, which affect and distort measurements. However, we need to monitor the measurements in the coming days, to confirm the shape and slope of the viral load growth curve.“, He declared to APE-MPE the rector of AUTh and coordinator of the research team, Prof. Nikos Papaioannou.
“It is obvious that the epidemiological landscape of wastewater is proving to be a reliable indicator of early monitoring of the spread of coronavirus in the community. We detected the outbreak of the dispersion 6 days before it was clinically confirmed by the number of recorded cases. It should be noted that international literature establishes that the disease takes an average of 5 to 7 days to manifest itself after its initial transmission. The carefully rationalized reading of the analyzes in the sewer system ensures a critical moment for the timely taking of measures by the State. and the awareness on the part of citizens that there is no place for irresponsible and antisocial behavior ”, explained the rector of AUTh and underlined: At the beginning of the pandemic, it was clear that individual responsibility is the most powerful weapon we have to fight the virus. It is also a fact that there is a fatigue in society due to the prolonged application of m restrictive edits and understandably young people want to go out, have fun. However, it is time for everyone to assume their individual responsibility, to safeguard the highest good – life, to safeguard the public health system and to avoid measures that negatively affect the social and economic life of the city ”.
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, Space Engineering and Development of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Source: Athens news agency
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