The Marseille Marine Fire Brigade (BMPM), for more than a year, has been sampling and interpreting Marseille wastewater to measure the rate of carriage of the Covid-19 virus. In recent weeks, he has observed a very rapid rise in the Delta variant …
- Rear Admiral Patrick Augier, commander of the BMPM observes a very rapid rise of the Delta variant © Mireille Bianciotto
Rear Admiral Patrick Augier underlines the interest of this device: “ Its precision makes it possible to target in record time the areas to be monitored and thus to step up the resources committed by those involved in the crisis, such as health assessments or screenings, according to the needs expressed. We see, in the wastewater, both asymptomatic people and sick people, in fact, we see everyone. »Explains again:« With the ARS, we are working on the surveillance of sensitive establishments. With the laboratories, which do sequencing on people, to see the type of mutation, we exchange to locate these people and go as quickly as possible, because the interest of the analysis of wastewater lies in this opportunity that it offers to intervene very quickly in areas where the virus is spreading, to contain the threat. It’s a war of movement ».
Faced with this new wave, he takes stock of vaccination in the Battalion: “ We are always the first to face the virus because, inevitably, we are very close to the population. the firefighters are almost 100% vaccinated in any case at the Battalion of the Marins Pompiers de Marseille, and, indeed, there are no patients at the present time while we are at an epidemic peak, so, afterwards, we must not draw any conclusions, but I can tell you what I see ».
- © Mireille Bianciotto
Interview with Alexandre Lacoste, chemical engineer at the Marseille Fire Brigade Battalion (BMPM) who heads the Comete cell (Covid Marseille environmental testing expertise)
How did the Battalion come up with the idea of analyzing the wastewater to find the portage of the Covid 19?
We started last summer following a publication which showed that there was a relationship, until then not really established, between certain respiratory viruses, in concentration, in wastewater, and the number of people who were infected. For example, there are applications that can be made for dengue fever, in Thailand there are people who are researching that. We started like that, in July 2020 and we got results. We discovered a lot of things. Today, we can say that we have expertise.
How many times a week do you test?
Samples are taken every day. They are collected from the 2 collectors below the Stade Vélodrome, Géolide. We are thus provided with 2 samples of 24 hours from the RS (Separate Network) which goes all around the city and the UK which includes the Old Port, old Marseille and all this happens at Géolide. La Seramm (Marseille Métropole Sanitation Service) has signed an agreement with us and gives us these 2 samples in 24 hours.
Sequencing, do you do it?
The Battalion controls the entire chain, from sampling, to processing, to transport, extraction, analysis and interpretation. Afterwards, for sequencing, you need sequencers, people who are very specialized. There, we trust our CHU partners and in addition we have to concentrate the sample, much more than what we do.
Interview by Mireille BIANCIOTTO
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