A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, in the United States, claims to have found traces of the new coronavirus in water samples from four beaches in America, collected as part of a study carried out in Lake Superior, between July and September.
However, according to the researchers, there is no reason to panic. Richard Melvin, who led the study, has taken water samples from eight beaches in Lake Superior, North America, since July 4. Traces of SARS-CoV-2 (responsible for the covid-19 disease) were found in four tests, carried out on 11 and 18 September.
It is still unknown why the water contains traces of the new coronavirus. The researchers noted that there is no evidence that bathers were infected by being in direct contact with water.
“The main objective is not to scare people, but to answer community questions. It is mysterious and interesting at the same time. Realizing where to look for the virus is really critical to dealing with these types of infections in the future, ”said Richard Melvin in a statement to the television station. Kare 11, affiliated with the broadcaster NBC.
According to the researchers, the traces found in the water are a “sign that there is still much more to learn about covid-19” and that “it may be another indicator of the prevalence of the virus in the population living in that location”.
The hypotheses suggest that the virus has been “carried” by bathers to the lake, or through the contamination of water by sewage. However, the suspicions have not yet been confirmed.
The study will continue on Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world in territorial extension.
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