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SINGAPORE: A total of 437 residents of a National University of Singapore (NUS) shelter were tested for COVID-19 in a special testing operation on Tuesday (March 23) after viral material was detected in a sample of sewage water.
All results are currently pending, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) said Tuesday night.
Low levels of viral COVID-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) were detected Sunday from National Environment Agency testing of a sewage sample collected Saturday from the north tower of UTown Residence in NUS.
READ: NUS UTown shelter residents to be tested for COVID-19 after viral material was found in a sewage sample
“There is evidence to suggest that this may be due to the viral spread of a recovered past infection among residents, but as a precautionary measure, the Ministry of Health today carried out special trial operations to assess the residents of the affected apartments.” the ministry said, adding that 437 people were sampled, excluding the recovered case.
In sewage testing, sewage samples are collected from the sewers and the entire process can take between 30 minutes and three hours.
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The samples are then processed in the laboratory and tests are carried out to detect whether SARS-CoV-2 material is present in the wastewater. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.
NUS has implemented the sewage monitoring program for all shelters since December 2020, it said in a circular on Monday.
UTown Residence is a hostel for married and single graduate students and can house up to 1,700 residents.
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