With coronavirus cases in the UK now at almost 200,000, the UK government is considering drastic measures to track its spread.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has confirmed that it is considering analysing sewage to track the spread of the virus across the UK.
A DEFRA statement explained: “We are actively engaging with the research community and government scientific advisers to investigate whether monitoring waste water could be used as a way of tracking the prevalence of the virus.”
While initial studies indicated that the virus wasn’t excreted in urine or faeces, recently there’s been increasing evidence that the virus, or at least its genome, is excreted in faeces.
For example, a study published last month by researchers from the University of Newcastle found that genetic residues of the virus can be detected in water, allowing scientists to estimate local concentrations of the virus.
The tracking tactic is already being used in several other countries.
In Switzerland, scientists have been able to detect coronavirus in wastewater, even at low concentrations, and are aiming to develop a system that could warn of a resurgence of cases earlier than clinical diagnostic tests.
Environmental engineer Christoph Ort said: “With samples from 20 large treatment plants distributed across Switzerland, we could monitor wastewater from around 2.5 million people.
“Wastewater doesn’t lie, and it reflects what is excreted by the public within a few hours.”
Meanwhile, scientists in the Netherlands have also been able to track the spread of the virus through sewage.
In a study published at the end of March, the researchers explained: “The detection of the virus in sewage, even when the Covid-19 prevalence is low, indicates that sewage surveillance could be a sensitive tool to monitor the circulation of the virus in the population.”
It remains unclear when, or even if, the sewage-monitoring system will be implemented in the UK.
