The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). consider taking samples of aircraft wastewater on international flights as a way to track the possible appearance of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, advances Reuters.
The measure is being considered at a time when the United States announced that they will require the presentation of a negative test to SARS-CoV-2 infection to anyone arriving from China. It is a way to stop transmission chains at a time when the country is facing a new wave of Covid-19.
US imposes negative Covid-19 tests on travelers from China, Macao and Hong Kong
THE the wastewater monitoring strategy to control the epidemiological situation is already used in Portugal, in some regions of the country. Here, the surveillance of wastewater is in charge of the Portuguese Environment Agency and the General Directorate of Health of the Ministry of Health. The two entities are based on a European Commission recommendation published in March 2021 advising Member States to collect Covid-19 data through wastewater.
New task force monitors wastewater. How does a liter of wastewater reveal the evolution of the pandemic?
Águas e Energia do Porto, a pioneer in extended monitoring of Covid-19 in Portugal, has joined forces with Águas de Portugal Valor, Águas do Norte, Águas do Tejo Atlântico, Simdouro, Águas do Centro Litoral, Águas do Algarve, AGERE in Braga and the Almada Municipal Water and Sanitation Service (SMAS) for this purpose. They collect one liter of water from two wastewater treatment plants and send the sample for PCR testing.
THE China is experiencing a large wave of new cases of coronavirus infection. The country is highly suspect, but the population has little natural immunity to the virus, and even the protection induced by the Chinese vaccine is reduced. Several countries are preparing measures to monitor the situation in China, as the health authorities have conditioned the publication of data on cases.
Source: Observadora
