Tanel Tenson, Professor of Technology of Antimicrobial Compounds at the University of Tartu, stated that the spread of the infection is still high everywhere. "We can definitely see that the distribution is very high in Harju County and Tallinn, the distribution is also high elsewhere in Estonia, and if we look at the map, it is still mainly red," said Tenson.
At the same time, "[The spread of the virus has decreased] practically everywhere - in Haapsalu, Tartu, the cities of Ida-Virumaa" remarked Tenson.
The professor noted that the content of coronavirus in wastewater began to increase rapidly in mid-November last year. This was followed by a sharp increase in the number of infected people. "If we compare the current numbers of infected people and the results of wastewater analyzes with those of then, we still have a long way to go to get back to that level," Tenson added.
Wastewater samples are collected at the beginning of each week in all county centers, cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants and, if necessary, also in smaller settlements. The study provides the Health Board with information to assess the spread of the virus before clinical cases are detected, and also helps to detect hidden outbreaks and monitor changes in outbreak dynamics.
In collecting samples, the University of Tartu cooperates with the Estonian Environmental Research Center and water companies that operate urban wastewater treatment plants. The analyzes of the samples are performed in the laboratories of the Institute of Technology of the University of Tartu.