COVID-19. In and around Gothenburg, concentrations of coronavirus in the wastewater remain relatively high. A certain upturn is also noted in the latest weekly measurements from the University of Gothenburg.
Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in Gothenburg wastewater have not kept on declining at the rate many hoped they would. Three months into the fourth wave of the pandemic, concentrations remain high over time, compared with the peaks of earlier pandemic waves.
The current measurements are based on samples taken in the week of March 7th to 13th, and the findings indicate a certain upturn compared with the previous week.
High average
Photo: Elin Lindström
“The SARS-CoV-2 readings look as if they’re fluctuating around a high mean. Clearly, we still have lots of people infected. Most seem to have mild infections, since there aren’t many hospital admissions,” says Heléne Norder, adjunct professor at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and microbiologist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
The surveys of SARS-CoV-2 in the Gothenburg wastewater have been underway since mid-February 2020. Norder and her research group care providers and the Infection Control Unit in Region Västra Götaland of their results.
Measuring the spread of infection
During the pandemic, elevated levels of coronavirus in wastewater, reflecting increased local incidence of COVID-19 in the population, have made it possible to predict load peaks in health care to a varying degree.
As COVID-19 testing has changed, the measurements and analyses have become more important. Now that fewer people are being tested, the number of verified cases is a decreasingly valid indicator of the spread of infection in the community.
BY: MARGARETA GUSTAFSSON KUBISTA
