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THE Thessaloniki still far from its leveling epidemiological curve, display AUTh measurements with EYATH for SARS-CoV-2 genome concentration στα effluent of the urban complex.
According to analysis From last week’s samples, the concentration of the virus genome in Thessaloniki’s sewage continues to rise rapidly, in contrast to the declining number of cases, which was announced in recent days.
“At this stage of the pandemic, the findings do not surprise us. The trend continues to be upward and reflects the widespread spread of the virus in the community. Once the measures taken have begun to bear fruit, the increase will cease to be exponential in first place, before stabilize and reverse the trend towards a downward trend. We hope that the measurements of the next two weeks will begin to show this course ”, the rector of AUTh and coordinator of the research team, Prof. Nikos Papaioannou, told APE-MPE.
We must all realize that by reverently observing personal protection and social distancing measures, we help the public health system to cope with the best care for the sick while demonstrating that we want to return to our lives soon. It is a personal responsibility of each one of us and an obligation towards society as a whole, strict compliance with the measures that have been suggested by the experts ”, said the rector of AUTh.
Asked about leveling perspective of the epidemiological curve in relation to the cases that have been announced in recent days for Thessaloniki, the professor of the Department of Chemistry and member of the AUTh research team, Theodoros Karapantsios, answered:
“Measurements in wastewater show that we are far from flattening the epidemiological curve. “Perhaps the difference with the decrease in reported cases is due to the fact that the viral load of symptoms has increased, or the fact that there are now a large number of asymptomatic cases, or a combination of these two cases.”
“Companies monitor staff for symptoms by sending wastewater samples to AUTh”
Last week, the AUTh team detected viral load in commercial wastewater with facilities in the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki.
“The AUTh team has been monitoring the wastewater of these companies for several weeks.” It is important that in one case a viral load was detected in the sewer of a company, to which no case had been reported and after detection in the sewer identified an asymptomatic worker, ”said Mr. Karapantsios.
The methodology applied by the AUTh team has the ability to determine with great precision the genomic copy number of SARS-CoV-2 even at very low concentrations in city wastewater samples.
“This is achieved check the same sample with multiple repetitions and evaluate with detailed procedures the performance in each stage of the laboratory test, such as p. ex. “During the compaction of the sample, the isolation of the genetic material of the virus but also the assurance of the removal of the chemical substances that unfortunately are found in the wastewater and create serious problems in carrying out the molecular test that is applied”, said yes in APE-MPE. Professor of Molecular Microbiology in the Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Chrysostomos Dovas.
“Molecular diagnostic tests carried out entirely in Greece”
About methodology From molecular analysis followed by the AUTh team, Mr. Dovas explained: “We have integrated innovations at all stages, such as eg. ex. in the methodology of isolation of viral genomic RNA, but also in terms of molecular analysis. The molecular test has a very high analytical sensitivity for detecting viruses and was recently developed as part of a research project of the AUTh Clinics Diagnostic Laboratory with the Greek company EnzyQuest, which specializes in the production of enzymes used in tests of molecular diagnostics.
“At this time we are in a happy position to use original kits that have been produced entirely in Greece for our analyzes and therefore we have the opportunity in the last two months to immediately perform the large amount of molecular tests required”, said. professor.
The coronavirus assessment methodology in municipal waste, developed by the AUTh team, rationalizes the concentration measurements of the virus genome based on 24 environmental factors, which can alter the measurement results. Teachers of 11 different laboratories of the Departments of Medicine, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Biology, Civil Engineering, Spatial Planning and Development Engineering of the AUTh.
