Last Updated on June 25, 2020, 6:06 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Indian scientists have recently discovered the genetic material of COVID-19 coronavirus in wastewater, and it is being viewed as a significant development.
This discovery has paved the path for using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for real-time surveillance of coronavirus COVID-19 in the country.
The study, which is led by scientists in IIT-Gandhinagar, has found that increased “gene copies” of the virus in the wastewater of Ahmedabad, matched the incidence of the disease in the city.
With this, Andrew Singer, an environmental microbiologist, tweeted that India joins the ranks of a handful of countries doing a WBE on COVID-19.
Water-Based Epidemiology is an effective approach for monitoring the spread of the virus in a specific catchment by monitoring the viral load in the wastewater.
Recent studies have shown the presence of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the faeces of the infected individuals.
The genetic material from (RNA) the virus has also been found in the sewage entering the treatment plants.
Researchers said that untreated wastewater could provide deep insights into the percentage of people who are infected in a specific catchment area.
The researchers, who submitted their study for publication in the international journal Science of the Total Environthatment said that all the three SARS-CoV-2 genes; ORF1ab, N and S, were present in the wastewater which was flowing into the treatment plant.
The researchers noted that no gene was found in the effluent which left the plant after treatment.
The scientists said that the gene copy loading, the quantity of genetic material of the virus had increased 10-fold between the period from May 8 to May 27.
The researchers added that the Ahmedabad study aims at assisting the authorities and policymakers to formulate and upgrade the COVID-19 surveillance in the country to get a clear picture of the phase of the pandemic.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
