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The SARS-CoV-2 viral load in wastewater from the urban complex of Thessaloniki is estimated to be reduced by 50% on a weekly basis, in research conducted by an interdisciplinary team from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in collaboration with EYATH.
Although last week there was a tendency to stabilize at the levels of the last days of October, this week the de-escalation continued at a higher rate. “The latest measurements are similar to those of mid-October. The slow but progressive decrease observed in the secretion of viral load shows that we are on the right path,” the rector of AUTh and scientifically responsible for the project told the Athens Agency. research Prof. Nikos Papaioannou, emphasizing, however, that “we are still not sure, because” There is still a significant dispersion in the community, capable of reversing the downward trend if there is relaxation and complacency on the part of citizens during the holidays “.
The last three measurements of viral load secretion, carried out by the AUTh wastewater epidemiology team on December 16, 18 and 21, 2020, after rationalization based on the quality characteristics of the wastewater, have a average value about 50% lower than average. price of the three previous measurements, on December 9, 11 and 14.
The methodology for evaluating coronavirus in municipal waste, developed by the AUTh team, streamlines the measurements of the concentration of the virus genome based on 24 environmental factors, which can alter the measurement results.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
