A French research group has discovered a significant trace of COVID-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the sewer waters of the city of Montpellier a month and a half after the end of France's lockdown, according to a preprint published on the medRxiv website
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) A French research group has discovered a significant trace of COVID-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the sewer waters of the city of Montpellier a month and a half after the end of France's lockdown, according to a preprint published on the medRxiv website.
France lifted its COVID-19 lockdown on May 11.
"Here, we measured the amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the inflow point of the main waste water treatment plant (WWTP) of Montpellier, France. We collected samples 4 days before the end of lockdown and up to 45 days post-lockdown. We detected increased amounts of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the WWTP, which was not correlated with the number of newly diagnosed patients," the researchers said in the paper's abstract, published on Thursday.
According to the acquired data, the wastewater on June 15 and June 25 had more viral RNA than on all other dates, and the daily number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the Herault department, where Montpellier is located, has been decreasing since April 1.
France has confirmed a total of 170,094 cases, with a death toll of 29,979.
