An increase in new infections in mid-July could be seen early on. The results could also indicate that the number of unreported cases has recently decreased.
Ten sewage treatment plants in Upper Austria have been sampled twice a week since July 3rd. Around half a liter of water is taken and tested for virus RNA. From the analysis results, a number of so-called “fictitious excretors” is calculated – those people who carry the virus, regardless of whether they are symptomatic or whether they have been tested. This value is then compared to the number of known positive corona tests.
Increases in wastewater can be seen four to ten days before the clinical picture. This allows you to identify developments at an early stage. The data in Upper Austria showed an increase in the number of excretors as early as July 5th, in the seven-day incidence it was only seen on July 14th, reported pathology primary Rene Silye from the Salzkammergut Klinikum Vöcklabruck, where the samples in cooperation be evaluated with the University of Innsbruck in a background discussion on Friday.
Haberlander optimistic
The fact that the two values still diverged sharply at the beginning of July – the number of infected people was officially just over 1,000, that of the fictitious excretors was almost 2,500 – and over the course of the month moved closer and closer, also allows the conclusion that the number of unreported cases has fallen. One is currently in a learning phase, says Silye. You first have to find out how large precipitation events affect the samples, or what influence tourism has.
Health officer LHStv. However, Christine Haberlander (ÖVP) is optimistic that with wastewater monitoring she has a tool in her hands that indicates developments at an early stage. The yardstick for her is still the hospital floor, as she emphasized. At the end of August, the state will also take over the waste water monitoring at school locations, which the federal government is phasing out. This adds 16 more sample locations, and the results should then cover around 450,000 of the 640,000 households in the state, explained LH Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP). The results will be published weekly. In addition, the country will continue to have regular forecasts made by a team led by simulation researcher Niki Popper.
Source: Nachrichten
