Belgium will soon monitor local corona distribution via wastewater, writes the medical general practitioner magazine Medi-atmosphere. In this way, regional outbreaks can be quickly detected.
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The method is not new. In France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, the United States and Australia, the wastewater is already checked for the presence of corona traces just before it disappears into the sewer system. In Belgium, for the time being, there were only a few local projects, but no federal action plan yet. Sciensano is now putting his shoulders to the wheel, reports Medi-Atmosphere. “The presence of Sars-CoV-2 in wastewater has been proven,” said Sciensano spokesperson Lydie Denis. Infected people excrete the virus in their feces and then end up in the sewers. With the remark that the coronavirus is not stable and breaks down relatively quickly compared to other viruses, so that it loses its infectivity. ‘
Fast and cheap
It is not yet certain whether the virus spores in the wastewater are contagious. A Walloon study in which 25 samples are being tested is still ongoing. Aquafin previously reported that hereditary RNA cells from Sars-CoV-2 were found in water. These indicate the presence of the coronavirus. According to the GP, RNA detection is a relatively quick and inexpensive way to detect the presence of the virus. In 2013, a similar method in Israel detected the presence of the polio virus, allowing the government to quickly restart a vaccination campaign.
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