{"id":1733,"date":"2021-02-01T21:53:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T21:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/fbd\/?p=1733"},"modified":"2021-02-01T22:08:31","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T22:08:31","slug":"covid-19-surveillance-measuring-coronavirus-in-wastewater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/fbd\/covid-19-surveillance-measuring-coronavirus-in-wastewater\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 surveillance: Measuring Coronavirus in wastewater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Measuring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers from the Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH) <\/a>and the Toxicological Centre<\/a>, have joined forces with the Belgian health agency Sciensano<\/a> to measure levels of the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater. This research builds on methodologies and expertise that were previously optimized by Prof. Peter Delputte<\/a> and Prof. Alexander van Nuijs<\/a> with funding received from the UAntwerp University Research Fund (BOF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samples of (incoming) wastewater from Belgian treatment stations will be analysed twice a week for 2 years. The measurement of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is a national surveillance program that covers more than 40% of the Belgian population. The selected collection points for the wastewater samples are located in areas with a high population density. Thus, in theory, these are areas with a higher risk of coronavirus transmission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first collected data so far shows that the levels of SARS-CoV-2 present in wastewater are largely similar to the number of positive tests in the 3 regions of the country (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, wastewater could be used as a new epidemiological indicator to detect any significant fluctuations in the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


These analyses are carried out by three labs, all using the same testing methodology:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UAntwerp Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH) and the Toxicological Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

e-biom (a University of Namur spin-off)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sciensano (food pathogens lab)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information can be found on the Sciensano <\/a>website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers from the Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH) and the Toxicological Centre, have joined forces with the Belgian health agency Sciensano to measure levels of the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater. This research builds on methodologies and expertise that were previously optimized by Prof. Peter Delputte and Prof. Alexander van Nuijs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-svg.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,56,30],"tags":[43,70,62],"class_list":["post-1733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drug-research","category-environmental-health","category-research","tag-coronavirus-2","tag-lmph","tag-toxicology"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t