“We do not need to be forced to protect ourselves”, says the rector of AUTh
In the red” level of epidemiological dispersion recorded the concentration of its viral load SARS-CoV-2 in municipal waste on Thessalonikibased on the latest measurements for research conducted by Sewage Epidemiology Team of AUTh with EYATHin collaboration with Region of Central Macedonia and within the National Network of EODY, while the strains BA.4 & 5 of Omicron are detected at 90% of the total viral load.
As shown in the diagrams presented by – after six weeks at a moderate (orange) level spread of the virus In the community, following the upward trend that began in parallel with the gradual prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 & 5 strains, the viral load returned to a high level of dispersion.
Specifically, in the samples taken daily at the entrance of the Thessaloniki wastewater treatment plant, regarding the rationalized values of relative viral load secretion, the average value of the two most recent measurements, ie Tuesday 21/06/2022 and Wednesday 22/06/2022 is:
- Increased by 43% compared to the average value of the two immediately preceding measurements of Sunday 19/06/2022 and Monday 20/06/2022.
- Increased by 74% compared to the average price of the previous Tuesday 14/06/2022 and Wednesday 15/06/2022
«The increase in the spread of the virus, as we measure it in the sewage in recent weeks and more clearly in recent days, is not negligible, as from the data that put us on alert, we now have data that put us on alert“, Said to APE-MPE the rector of AUTh and scientifically responsible for the research project, professor Nikos Papaioannou.
«It should be clear here that the viral load in sewage is an indicator of the spread of the virus in the community but can be correlated neither with the intensity of the symptoms nor with the duration of the symptoms in those who become ill. With the predominance of the most contagious strains Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 the risk of transmission is greater and even greater as the time distance from the last vaccination increases.“, explained the rector of AUTh.
Rector of AUTh: “We do not need to be forced to protect ourselves”
Regarding the measures that correspond to the state of alert, Mr. Papaioannou referred to the strong recommendation addressed by the National Vaccination Committee to citizens over 60 years of age to make the fourth dose of the vaccine, as well as to the stable self-protection measures. «We are talking about the obvious. We have learned to live with the virus and we have learned how not to endanger the most vulnerable. We do not need to be forced to protect ourselves when we all know how to do it, and we can do it. In closed spaces with synchronicity, in concerts, where it is dangerous to be exposed to the virus, the mask will protect us and the mask should always be with us. As someone with symptoms should not go to visit and hug a friend or relative who belongs to a vulnerable groupHe clarified.
The value of the methodology of rationalization of the environmental parameters of the wastewater, which stands out especially in this period, with the weather conditions that prevailed in Thessaloniki, was mentioned by the professor of the Department of Chemistry of AUTh Thodoris Karapantsios: “The heavy rains that have been happening in the city lately, in addition to the large volumes of wastewater, additionally alter their physicochemical characteristics since many solids, oils and other surface pollutants are transferred to the sewers. Such alterations are a challenge for the rationalization of viral load measurements but at the same time they prove the need for rationalization as they significantly affect the measurements. Experience has shown that the complex problem of recording viral load in a volatile system such as wastewater requires the synergy of many scientific specialties, which has been done systematically for two years by the AUTh wastewater epidemiology team.».
Regarding the emergence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 strains the associate professor of Molecular Microbiology of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, AUTh, Chrysostomos Dovasexplained: “The continuous dispersion of BA.2 and its slow escape do not allow the estimation of the growth rate of the emerging escape strains BA.4 and BA.5 based on the measurements of the total viral load. The timely development of the two new methods for the exclusive reinforcement and quantification of Omicron BA.2 and BA.4 & 5, respectively, allowed us to accurately assess the emergence of BA.4 & 5 in Thessaloniki, which based on the 29-day measurements, shows a doubling of viral load every 7 days. In the sample of June 22 the percentage of BA.4 & 5 was 90% of the total load».
The AUTh sewage epidemiology team developed two new molecular methods of real-time PCR which have the ability to selectively amplify and quantify parts of the genome of the Omicron strains BA.2 and BA.4 & 5.
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