From now on, sewage water is examined weekly for the corona virus throughout the Netherlands. RIVM, together with the water boards, is measuring the amount of virus particles at more than 300 measuring points at sewage treatment plants.
The measurements provide more insight into the places where the virus spreads. Virus particles can end up in the stool. Thus, sewage water can become a source of information about the virus.
In April, RIVM started with 29 measuring points. There were 80 in July and now the measurement network covers the entire country.
No infectious virus is measured, but genetic material of the virus, called RNA, which determines the virus properties.
August
In line with the increase in the number of positive tests, RIVM also detected more virus particles in the sewage water in August than before. The number of virus particles increased in Amsterdam, The Hague and Almere, among others. For example, look at the data from Almere:
Last week, researchers saw outliers in Leiden-Noord and Woerden. RIVM did not detect corona virus in the sewage water in most places.
Once a week
The measurement results are not very exact: water is examined once a week for each measuring point and collected in 24 hours. And not all people who have Covid-19 show the virus in their stools and some have more virus particles in their stools than others.
The method is still being refined further.
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