It has been proven that there is a correlation between the concentration of the coronavirus mixed in domestic wastewater nationwide and the number of confirmed cases.
On the 14th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) disclosed the results of the "Analysis of Infectious Disease Surveillance Based on Wastewater from 64 Wastewater Treatment Plants Nationwide" during the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters briefing. Wastewater-based infectious disease surveillance is an analytical technique that estimates patient occurrence by analyzing the amount of virus mixed in domestic wastewater, and it was implemented for the first time this year for COVID-19.
First, from January, when the number of confirmed cases decreased, the concentration of the COVID-19 virus in wastewater nationwide also decreased. During periods when the number of confirmed cases slightly increased, the virus concentration also slightly increased. Regarding this, the KDCA stated, "We confirmed a high correlation between virus concentration and the occurrence of confirmed cases."
In addition to wastewater surveillance, the KDCA is preparing a multi-layered surveillance system that estimates the number of confirmed cases and severe or fatal patients through sample surveillance at clinical medical institutions.
The KDCA emphasized, "We will respond to infectious disease crisis situations through precise scientific analysis."
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