Remnants of the COVID-19 virus have been detected in raw sewage across Sydney as part of a new research program undertaken by NSW Health and Sydney Water.
Sewage testing for molecular markers of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, started in July this year, adding another tool in the fight against the global pandemic.
You may recall our earlier story on sewage testing in the COVID-19 update. The sewage surveillance research program has now expanded.
The search for COVID-19 was recently expanded under the program, to include the testing of raw sewage from Bondi, Malabar, North Head, Cronulla, St Marys, Quakers Hill, Rouse Hill, Penrith, Shellharbour and Winmalee in the Blue Mountains.
The wastewater network is providing data to help NSW Health's response to the pandemic.
The first round of samples revealed COVID-19 virus fragments at Bondi, Malabar and Winmalee.
Further analysis is required to understand the significance of these initial results. There is no risk to the public or to staff who complete the testing, because the virus is deactivated by current treatment processes.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said it's early days for this research and we have a lot of work to do analysing our findings, but it's one more way we can strengthen our fight against COVID-19.
'This is a program that will show us where COVID-19 has been. For instance, we would expect to see viral fragments in Sydney sewage where we have consistently had cases in the community or in hotel quarantine,' Dr Chant said.
'However, if we continue to have very few active cases, there is scope for this testing to provide early warning in places without known or recent cases.'
Sydney Water is also supporting NSW Health by analysing samples from regional areas including the Hunter, the North Coast, and Southern and Western NSW.
