Increase in viral load in Thessaloniki remains relatively small, scientists report

There has been a slight increase in the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in Thessaloniki's sewage, which has been measured daily for the past week, according to an announcement by the research team conducting the study on Saturday. The study is a joint project conducted by scientists from the University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and the city's water and sewage company (EYATh).

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Closer monitoring was initiated after they detected a marked increase in the viral DNA in raw sewage during the previous week, as this also increases the accuracy of measurements.

The latest figures confirm the new level of epidemic alert for the city since early February but also show a relative small increase. Specifically, the average for Wednesday and Thursday, February 10-11, was 15 pct higher than the average on February 8-9, when there had been a sharp jump in comparison to the figures for late January.

"While there is a rising trend, we see that from one day to the next the increase recorded for the time being is mild," the head of the team, AUTh rector Prof. Nikos Papaioannou, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA). He said that the readings for the entire week were needed in order to say whether there is a trend toward stabilisation.

He said the more frequent measurements aimed to locate any exponential trends early on and thus allow time for the state and relevant agencies to respond, especially after the emergence of mutant strains of the virus.