Norway’s FHI wants to examine sewage to detect coronavirus
Investigating the sewer has previously revealed drug use. Now, researchers want to use the sewer to detect the coronavirus.
Investigating the sewage has previously revealed drug use. Now, researchers want to use sewage to detect the coronavirus.
The foul-smelling wastewater can, in fact, give clues about the increase in infection and the kind of variant. It can be especially useful now when the requirements for corona testing have been loosened.
In Sweden, researchers have been working on a similar project for over a year. The sewage is tested in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands also carry out such wastewater monitoring.
The National Institute of Public Health (FHI) is now working on a test project in Norway. In the first instance, the sewage from Tromsø, Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo, and the Ullensaker/Gardermoen area will be tested.
Feces and secretions from infected people go out into the wastewater, which is taken to treatment plants in the municipality. In the project, samples are taken from untreated wastewater.
The FHI wants to use samples to map new virus variants and the genetic composition of viruses in the sample.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
