Wastewater monitoring - Coronavirus monitored in four wastewater treatment plants in Brandenburg
Brandenburg is participating with four sewage treatment plants in the nationwide wastewater monitoring for the detection of coronaviruses. The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the viral load has been examined in the Potsdam sewage treatment plant since May and in Brandenburg/Havel, Cottbus and Frankfurt (Oder) since November. Nationwide, the data from 134 sewage treatment plants is being used to investigate changes in the viral load and the resulting dynamics of infections as well as new virus variants.
Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) pointed out that older people and patients with pre-existing conditions in particular continue to have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill in the event of a corona infection. "Because testing is no longer carried out across the board, conclusions about the infection situation can only be drawn indirectly. One indicator of this is the viral load in wastewater," explained the Minister. "We can identify new corona waves at an early stage and raise awareness among the population."
Since the end of June, an increasing coronavirus load has been observed in nationwide wastewater monitoring, the ministry announced. At the Potsdam site, the wastewater contained more than 5.1 million coronavirus gene copies per liter on 11 December, more than twice as many as two weeks earlier.
Press release
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- The sewage treatment plant in Potsdam, one of the four in Brandenburg participating in the national wastewater monitoring, has shown an increasing viral load of coronaviruses since May.
- The Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG) in Frankfurt is utilizing data from 134 sewage treatment plants across Germany, including Brandenburg an der Havel and Cottbus, to investigate changes in viral load and infer infection dynamics and potential new virus variants related to Covid-19.
- Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher highlighted that individuals with pre-existing conditions and older population segments remain at higher risk for serious consequences in the event of a Corona infection, emphasizing the importance of indirectly assessing infection situations based on viral loads in wastewater.
- The viral load in wastewater collected from the Potsdam sewage treatment plant had more than 5.1 million coronavirus gene copies per liter on December 11, over twice the amount recorded two weeks prior, indicating a rise in infections.
- The monitoring of wastewater for coronaviruses in sewage treatment plants across Brandenburg, including places like Frankfurt (Oder), has become essential in detecting new corona waves and raising public awareness about the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
- The Ministry of Health advises using the data from such sewage treatment plants to evaluate potential Corona outbreaks, as direct testing for the virus may not be widespread, making indirect indicators from wastewater analyses valuable in understanding infection patterns.
Source: www.stern.de
