Sewage water analysis show KZN is in 3rd wave â experts
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DURBAN - EXPERTS from the Durban University of Technologyâs Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology believe that KwaZulu-Natal is already experiencing its third wave of Covid-19 infections.
âAccording to recent clinical data, the number of active cases in KZN and the eThekwini Municipality began to rise steadily since April 20. However, we have started observing the spike in viral loads in wastewater since March 30, almost three weeks before the actual clinically confirmed cases were reported,â said IWWT director, Professor Faizal Bux.
âThis indicates that wastewater based epidemiology may be used as a predictive tool for surges in Covid-19 infections and that frequent monitoring is required for future wave predictions,â Bux added.
Covid-19: New study indicates KZN may already be in third wave
The latest research shows that the viral load of Covid-19 in wastewater is higher than found during the second wave of the pandemic.
The Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT) at the Durban University of Technology, which is at the forefront of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in Southern Africa, has revealed that its recent analysis indicated that KwaZulu-Natal is already experiencing the third wave of COVID-19 infections.
According to the team, the peak of the second wave in South Africa occurred in January 2021, with an average of 40 000 active cases in KZN. As a metro, the eThekwini Municipality is a good reflection of the Covid-19 pandemic trend in KZN.