The study, led by scientists in IIT-Gandhinagar, found that increased “gene copies” of the virus in Ahmedabad’s wastewater matched the incidence of the disease in the city. India joins the ranks of a handful of countries doing WBE of COVID-19. This translates to between 0.15 and 141.5 million viral genomes per litre of wastewater generated, the researchers said. The group is compiling and sharing all the results obtained through WBE surveillance for the global comparison, according to an article published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Ryo Honda of Japan’s Kanazawa University, who is leading a task force on wastewater surveillance in Japan, said the study is an important step for WBE of Covid-19 in India.

Source: Hindustan Times June 22, 2020 12:46 UTC