Last modified on Sat 1 May 2021 06.06 EDT
Coronavirus variants first detected in India risk becoming the UKâs second most dominant within weeks, experts have warned after total cases rose to 400.
Public Health England (PHE) said on Thursday that there was âno evidence of widespread community transmission or that these variants cause more severe disease or render the vaccines currently deployed any less effectiveâ.
But other scientists said it was worrying that the UKâs detected cases appear to be increasing rapidly despite England still being under social-distancing restrictions. India was placed on Englandâs travel âred listâ from 23 April, restricting arrivals to citizens and residents who must quarantine in a hotel.
Submitting.
“As such, testing will become an important part of the overall approach to the long-term management and tracking of the virus.
“Wastewater surveillance complements clinical surveillance by providing information on the prevalence and spread of disease in the population and will have an important role in monitoring overall viral activity and in identifying any new variants that may emerge.”
Two wastewater treatment sites are already undergoing “sampling and testing”, it adds, with plans for further sites to be developed “in the coming months”.
The department say the testing work also raises the possibility of “tracking a range of other harmful pathogens of importance in terms of both public and animal health”.
How does qPCR work?
qPCR and RT-qPCR can detect and measure DNA and RNA. This is very useful for investigating whether certain variants of a gene might indicate susceptibility to disease and is also an invaluable tool for medical diagnostic testing such as Covid-19 given its high level of precision and sensitivity.
We work with colleagues at the Quadram Institute to ensure that positive samples are sequenced and flagged up to the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), which is important in the bid to track and trace variants across the country.
What is the best thing about working at Norwich Research Park?
How does qPCR work?
qPCR and RT-qPCR can detect and measure DNA and RNA. This is very useful for investigating whether certain variants of a gene might indicate susceptibility to disease and is also an invaluable tool for medical diagnostic testing such as Covid-19 given its high level of precision and sensitivity.
We work with colleagues at the Quadram Institute to ensure that positive samples are sequenced and flagged up to the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), which is important in the bid to track and trace variants across the country.
What is the best thing about working at Norwich Research Park?