Covid-19: Sewage can be the key to stopping a new coronavirus outbreak

Published

4 years ago

June 1, 2020

Germany excrement sewage coronavirus early detection Pleitgen pkg intl hnk vpx _00004514

The main goal is that almost all waste plants install this coronavirus early warning system to track the spread of Covid-19.

“That will be the first test path,” said microbiologist Hauke Harms, one of the research leaders. “You will start with our measurements and then you will know where to go to find the reason. Usually this is a hospital, or I don’t know, the factory where you experienced an outbreak. And then someone has to test people.”

The concept seems simple enough: Waste contains virus remains from human feces. If the concentration suddenly surges, the waste factory will detect it and warn the authorities to take action and begin targeted testing for the area in question.

The sewage plant in the city of Leipzig, eastern Germany – which can serve a population of between 100.00 and 600,000 people – was among those who took part in the study.

“If it is possible to have an idea of the concentration of coronavirus in wastewater, we can count the number of people infected in Leipzig and this will be very interesting in a coronavirus strategy,” Dr. Ulrich Meyer, Leipzig’s technical director for irrigation.

But in reality, it’s not that easy. At Leipzig’s main wastewater plant, samples are extracted every two minutes when wastewater flows 24 hours a day.

Scientists at Helmholtz admit that finding a small amount of genetic material (or RNA) from a virus in a giant waste river is a huge task.

“We have a very high volume of wastewater and it is a challenge to find traces of the virus in sewage waters,” said Rene Kallies, a virus expert working on the project. “So we have liters and we have to lower it to microliters to get enough for RNA extraction and that’s the challenge.”

However, scientists say they can detect Covid’s spike in one day and send the information to local authorities.

Another challenge, the scientists say, is the low number of new infections currently in Germany, which makes finding the virus more difficult and means that one infected person can change test results.

“You may have heard of this super spreader and there is also super excretion, for example. People who emit more viruses than others and of course this gives you the wrong idea about the number of people infected,” Harms said.

Germany has been considered as an example of a country that has succeeded in warding off the worst damage from the virus. On Friday, it had reported more than 182,000 cases of Covid-19 with around 8,400 deaths, significantly lower than other European countries.

While some countries applaud doctors, health workers in Russia face open hostility

Tracing the virus in feces is nothing new and German researchers are not the only ones working to try and use feces as an alarm system. In February, scientists at the Netherlands KWR Water Research Institute discovered the virus in six sewage plants in the country, including one that serves the main international airport in Schipol. KWR said it had developed a method for monitoring the presence of viruses in wastewater and said testing of wastewater had clear benefits.

“While individual testing requires individual testing, testing in waste can provide an initial indication of contamination in the entire population,” KWR said on its website.

On Tuesday, was announced KWR data will be integrated into the Dutch government’s Covid-19 monitoring dashboard.

German researchers believe that testing wastewater will be a factor in the network of steps to detect outbreaks.

But they admit there are still problems to be solved, although they say they believe the system will exist and work in the second half of 2020, in time to help accommodate the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus.

“I think we can offer something before the next wave,” Harms said, referring to a detection system that can be used by the state and sewage systems. “So, if the next wave comes in the fall or early winter, then we must have something.”

Goodwin Townsend

General internet buff. Hardcore music maven. Typical foodaholic. Friendly student.

Portuguese historical films will premiere on 29 December.

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2022

Herb Adkins

Portuguese historical films will premiere on 29 December.

Method Media Bermuda will present the documentary FABRIC: Portuguese History in Bermuda on Thursday, December 29 at the Underwater Research Institute of Bermuda.

A spokesperson said: “Method Media is proud to bring Bermuda Fabric: Portugal History to Bermuda for its 5th and 6th showing at the Bermuda Underwater Observatory. In November and December 2019, Cloth: A Portuguese Story in Bermuda had four sold-out screenings. Now that Bermuda has reopened after the pandemic, it’s time to bring the film back for at least two screenings.

“There are tickets Ptix.bm For $ 20 – sessions at 15:30 and 18:00. Both screenings will be followed by a short Q&A session.

Director and producer Milton Raboso says, “FABRIC is a definitive account of the Portuguese community in Bermuda and its 151 years of history, but it also places Bermuda, Acors and Portugal in the world history and the events that have fueled those 151 years.

“It took more than 10 years to implement FABRIC. The film was supported by the Minister of Culture, the Government of the Azores and private donors.

“Bermuda Media Method [MMB] Created in 2011 by producer Milton Raposo. MMB has created content for a wide range of clients: Bermuda’s new hospital renovation, reinsurance, travel campaigns, international sports and more. MMB pays special attention to artistic, cultural and historical content.

More about

#History of Bermuda #A photo #Portuguese

Model: Everybody, Entertainment, Movies/Movies, History, News

Herb Adkins

Proud web evangelist. Travel ninja. Creator. Freelance food nerd. Passionate bacon fanatic.

CRISTANO RONALDO CAN MAKE UP A GIANT IN CARIOCA AND PORTUGUESE TECHNICIAN SAYS ‘There will be room’

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2022

Herb Adkins

CRISTANO RONALDO CAN MAKE UP A GIANT IN CARIOCA AND PORTUGUESE TECHNICIAN SAYS 'There will be room'

News

This is a fact or event of journalistic interest. This may be new or recent information. This also applies to the novelty of an already known situation.

Article

Mostly original text. Expresses the opinion of the author, but not necessarily the opinion of the newspaper. It can be written by journalists or specialists from different fields.

Investigative

A report that contains unknown facts or episodes with a pronounced denunciatory content. This requires special methods and resources.

Content commerce

Editorial content that offers the reader conditions for making purchases.

Analysis

This is the interpretation of the news, taking into account information that goes beyond the facts told. It uses data, brings events and scenario forecasts, as well as past contexts.

Editorial

Analytical text translating the official position of the vehicle in relation to the facts covered.

This is an institutional article on a topic of interest to the company sponsoring the report.

fact checking

Content that confirms the accuracy and authenticity of the disclosed information or facts.

Context

This is an article that brings subsidies, historical data and relevant information to help understand a fact or news.

special

An exciting report that details the various aspects and developments of this topic. It brings data, statistics, historical context, as well as stories of characters that are affected by or directly related to the topic in question.

Interview

A subject-specific approach in which the subject is presented in a question and answer format. Another way to publish interviews is through threads, where the interviewee’s answer is reproduced in quotation marks.

Criticism

A text with detailed analysis and opinions on products, services and works of art in a wide variety of fields such as literature, music, film and visual arts.

Herb Adkins

Proud web evangelist. Travel ninja. Creator. Freelance food nerd. Passionate bacon fanatic.

Maestro de Braga is the first Portuguese in the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba.

Published

1 year ago

December 19, 2022

Herb Adkins

Maestro de Braga is the first Portuguese in the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba.

Maestro Filipe Cunha, Artistic Director of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Braga, has been invited to conduct the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra, as announced today.

According to a statement sent by O MINHO, “he will be the first Portuguese conductor to conduct this orchestra in its entire history.”

In addition to this orchestra, the maestro will also work with the Lyceo Mozarteum de la Habana Symphony Orchestra.

The concerts will take place on 4 and 12 March 2023 at the National Theater of Cuba in Havana.

In the words of the maestro, quoted in the statement, “these will be very beautiful concerts with difficult but very complex pieces” and therefore he feels “very motivated”.

From the very beginning, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 will be performed by an Italian pianist (Luigi Borzillo), whom the maestro wants to bring to Portugal later this year. In the same concert, Mendelshon’s First Symphony will be performed.

Then, at the second concert, in the company of the Mexican clarinetist Angel Zedillo, he will perform the Louis Sfora Concerto No. 2. In this concert, the maestro also conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

“This is an international recognition of my work. An invitation that I accept with humility and great responsibility. I was surprised to learn that I would be the first Portuguese member of the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. This is a very great honor,” the maestro said in a statement.

“I take with me the name of the city of Braga and Portugal with all the responsibility that goes with it, and I hope to do a good job there, leaving a good image and putting on great concerts. These will be very special concerts because, in addition to performing pieces that I love, especially Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, I will be directing two wonderful soloists who are also my friends. It will be very beautiful,” concludes Filipe Cunha.

Herb Adkins

Proud web evangelist. Travel ninja. Creator. Freelance food nerd. Passionate bacon fanatic.