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Back Wastewater monitoring for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the Slovak Republic – progress on 13th calendar week 2024 - RT-PCR and ddPCR analysis

Published 4/15/24

Monitoring of wastewater in the Slovak Republic for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus was launched on 02.05. 2021. Since then, samples of waste water from evenly distributed waste water treatment plants (WTP) have been continuously examined. During the year, the monitoring intensity is optimalized according to the epidemiological situation.

The presence of virus in wastewater samples is determined by RT-PCR and digital dd-PCR. Samples are taken in cooperation with individual operators of wastewater treatment plants, regional public health authorities and investigated in the NRC at the Public Health Authority of Slovak Republic.

By the 13th calendar week 2024, a total of 4826 samples were examined by a qualitative and quantitative method, of which 4688 (97,14 %) samples were positive or with limit values.

On 13th calendar week 2024, 24 samples were examined, 14 samples were negative, 8 samples had borderline values, in 2 samples the number of copies increased.

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On the 13th calendar week, we noticed a reduce in quantitative tests, which express the copy number of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

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The viral load in wastewater is at very low levels, the national average is 0.03 µl. This value represents a decrease by half compared to the analyses from the 11th calendar week, where the value of the number of RNA copies of 0.09 microliters was recorded in the Slovak average.