麻豆传媒高清版 contributes to global COVID-19 related research
Scientists at 麻豆传媒高清版 are joining the global fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic.听
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A group of leading听academics are to pool their expertise听to develop new ways of mass-monitoring levels of SARS-Cov-2, the virus which causes the newly named COVID-19听illness.听听
Professor听Davey Jones of the School of Natural Sciences听and听one of the project听leaders explained:听
鈥淎n accurate听estimation of听the听amount of infection circulating in the听whole听community听would be valuable information for听those charged with听planning for and听controlling the spread of disease. While the number of听hospitalisation听of COVID-19 cases provides some measure of听the听disease听within the population, it provides no reliable information on mild infections and carriers听who show no symptoms.鈥澨
Random 鈥榮pot checks鈥 and thermal imaging cameras have been introduced to screen for infections, though these are costly to implement and very imprecise. Better methods are needed to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the wider population.听听
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As SARS-CoV-2听virus听is shed in听human听faeces听in high amounts, 麻豆传媒高清版鈥檚 research group听are to test using听wastewater to provide a powerful indicator of disease incidence at any point in time. This is particularly suitable as most UK urban听centres听are served by only one or two wastewater treatment works, providing a single integrated signal of millions of people in a single sample.听
This听NERC听鈥楿rgency鈥櫶齠unded project at the听Bangor听University鈥檚听College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering will achieve several goals听by using wastewater to provide near real-time information on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 within the UK population.听听
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Prof Dave Chadwick,听a co-leader听at the School of Natural Sciences explained further:听
鈥淩eal-time wastewater听monitoring听of the听rise and subsequent decline of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK can be compared to conventional disease reporting metrics听such as听current听COVID-19 hospitalization cases. It will enable similarities in the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in the major urban听centres听of the UK to be identified.鈥澨
Dr Shelagh Malham,听also听a co- leader of the research at the School of Ocean Sciences听explained:
听鈥淚n the longer term,听we hope to听demonstrate how wastewater can be used for the integrated surveillance of human听illness-causing听viruses within the human population and provide bodies such as national government, NHS, Public Health England and Wales and water companies with critical scientific information to be able to make informed decisions on disease control and respond and adapt to potential future disease epidemics.鈥澨
Prof David Thomas, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research commented:听
鈥淲hile the University has inevitably had to place much of its active research projects on听hold due听to the national importance of this听research, it听clearly has to go ahead.鈥澨