“The number of virus copies per inhabitant in the wastewater has exceeded the alarm level at several sewage treatment plants. This indicates that the cases are increasing again or that a new variant is striking. In Upper Austria, a little more attention should be paid to masks and distance again “, says Heribert Insam, head of the Microbial Resource Management working group at the University of Innsbruck and member of the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring. At six other sewage treatment plants in Upper Austria, the number of virus copies is in a “worrying range”. The red danger level was also exceeded at two plants in Lower Austria.
“Not worrying yet”
However, Insam does not rate this data as worrying: “We know that Omikron usually has a milder course and that the occupancy rate in the hospitals remains stable. Excitement is therefore out of place. But it is a clear sign,” he says .
The data from the sewage treatment plants in Upper Austria contrasts with 224 new infections in the past 24 hours and 3900 verifiable active cases. As reported, from June 1st, the obligation to wear masks outside of vulnerable areas such as homes and hospitals will also be put on the summer break.
In the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring research project, the genetic material, ribonucleic acid (RNA), of the coronavirus can be detected in wastewater.
When asked by OÖN on Friday, the state crisis team said that no clear conclusions could be drawn from the results of the wastewater monitoring on the actual development of the number of cases. The monitoring with two measurement days per week is too low for this. However, the development of the number of cases also repeatedly shows upward outliers – despite a generally downward trend in recent weeks. We are preparing intensively for autumn. A separate vaccination campaign for Upper Austria is currently being developed.
Source: Nachrichten
