how the hunt for the virus in wastewater has proved its worth

In the arsenal of indicators allowing daily monitoring of the evolution of the Covid-19 epidemic, it is undoubtedly the least known to the general public. In France, the device for detecting the virus in wastewater has, however, been an integral part of health monitoring tools for over a year.

The principle is simple: infected people, whether symptomatic or not, excrete the virus in their stool. By analyzing the water from wastewater treatment plants twice a week, researchers from the Obépine network (Epidemiological Observatory in Wastewater) detect the level of circulation of the coronavirus in the population attached to the plant, but also whether it is increasing or regresses.

“Early indicator”

First launched in the Paris region, the …

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