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Researchers’ analysis of wastewater at three treatment plants in the Stockholm region shows that the coronavirus is now rapidly increasing in the population. For a few weeks in July and August, Sars-Cov-2 levels weren’t even measurable, but in September they have doubled and are starting to approach record highs from this spring.
– We see clear and similar increases in results during week 39, at the end of September, then the amount of virus approaches May levels, says Cecilia Williams, KTH professor at SciLifeLab in a press release.
The explanation is the following The researchers do not recommend testing more people, because the sewage shows that the concentration of the virus increases in general in the population.
– My interpretation is that this latest increase is definitely about a greater number of infected people in society. It will be interesting to see the results next week if the trend continues and the number of covid-19 cases continues to rise, says Cecilia Williams in a press release.
Zeynep Cetecioglu Gurol leads the study at KTH Water Center, which tracks Sars-Cov-2 in wastewater.
Photo: Vanni Jung Ståhle,
Sewage reveals virus content long before testing because it can be detected in feces before patients have started showing symptoms.
– We only need to test a handful of samples per week to get information on development. Traces of the virus can disappear from the nose and throat relatively quickly, while the viruses are excreted in wastewater for a longer period of time, says Zeynep Cetecioglu Gurol, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at KTH
Already in April I found Researchers at KTH remove traces of the coronavirus in wastewater from the Bromma and Henriksdal treatment plants. Since then, virus levels have continued to be measured every week, and this summer the results have been compared to data, including the number of infected people who have been tested in the region. All to find a stable analysis method to calculate the number of infected among the 1.7 million people who are connected to three treatment plants in the Stockholm region.
David Nilsson is the director of the Water Center at KTH, leading the project to predict a second wave of viruses in wastewater.
Photo: Vanni Jung Ståhle
– The care staff that we have had contact with at Danderyds Hospital say they are primarily interested in being able to see signs of what is to come, in being prepared for any spike in patient numbers. They want to be able to prepare care resources on time, so that the need for care doesn’t suddenly rise to a level they are not equipped to handle, says David Nilsson, associate professor and director of the KTH Water Center.
The researchers are collaborating with experts in wastewater-based epidemiology in several other countries, including Italy and Spain. The project is led by KTH and SciLifeLab in collaboration with Stockholm Water and Waste and the municipality of Värmdö and is supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Read more: Stockholm’s sewage is tested for a second wave of viruses
