In total, 205 viral particles were found per liter of residual water
A new study from the Equinoctial Technological University and the Center for Genetic and Genomic Research detected that the virus causing Covid-19 is present in Quito’s wastewater. According to the researchers, it was possible to detect three specific coronavirus genes in the samples collected.
The preliminary result of the investigation collected samples of residual water from one of the parishes in the Capital that presents the highest number of infections by coronavirus.
Santiago Guerrero, a molecular biologist, explained that the results confirm the presence of the virus in people’s fecal waste.
“There is evidence that the virus is excreted in the faeces. What we did was analyze a sample of residual water, we concentrated the viral particles”
Similarly, he commented that after processing all the material, it was confirmed that there are three specific genes for the coronavirus in the served water samples.
One of the tests carried out in the investigation is the PCR test, the same that is carried out in humans. In total, 205 viral particles were found per liter of residual water.
To conclude, the researchers stressed that the objective of this research is to have an additional epidemiological surveillance tool to indirectly estimate the number of infected people in a population.
Source: Ecuavisa
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