COVID19: High traces of virus in wastewater

An increase in COVID-19 genetic material has been found in wastewater of the Limassol-Amathus Sewerage Board (SBLA) during a survey to develop an early warning system on its spread.

The survey was conducted in collaboration with the International Water Research Centre NIREAS of the University of Cyprus and the sewerage board.

They aim to develop a reliable early warning system on the degree of the COVID19 spread.

The SBLA announced that the first time the analysis of the coronavirus genetic material gave a positive result was in the first 10 days of October.

It said the latest samples, analysed by the University of Cyprus in mid-November, for 10 consecutive days, showed an increase compared to the samples taken in October.

The cooperation between SBLA and the university provides for the systematic analysis and monitoring of the genetic material of the virus in the wastewater of Limassol for the next four months.

Their ultimate goal is to develop a reliable early warning system for the extent of the spread of COVID-19, a tool for detecting the silent spread of the virus.

It is a method that can detect the ‘silent spread’ of COVID both in symptomatic and asymptomatic people through fragments of the secreted virus.