Sewage monitoring study predicting rise in COVID-19 across Estonia
The latest results from a sewage monitoring analysis forecast that coronavirus is spreading across the country and more cases will be seen in the coming weeks.
Project leader and professor of antimicrobial compound technology at the University of Tartu Tanel Tenson told ERR on Thursday it can be said that the infection is on the rise after remaining steady in December.
"This latest wave [of the study] showed that the virus has spread more evenly across Estonia," he said, adding that travel during the holidays had contributed to the spread of the virus.
Tenson said the most recent data for Saare and Ida-Viru counties are not yet available, but it can be assumed that the infection rate may increase in Saaremaa as well.
International experience has shown that sewage analysis can help with discovering traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus before infection can be seen in patients.
Samples are collected in all municipality centers, as well as Tallinn Airport, the Port of Tallinn and at border crossing points, and then analyzed by the University of Tartu. The studies have been carried out since August.
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Editor: Helen Wright