A nine-week high in the positivity rates and increasing incidence of virus fragments in wastewater point to a resurgence of Covid-19.
in the positivity rates of Covid-19 tests in South Africa and the increasing incidence of virus fragments in wastewater indicate that there may be a resurgence of the virus in the country.
With many cases of the virus going undiagnosed, the positivity rate is seen as an indication of how fast it’s spreading, while the presence of the coronavirus in wastewater is seen as an early warning of a rise in infections.“Sewage water surveillance and National Health Laboratory Service data does suggest there is an increase in virus circulation and infections,” said Shabir Madhi, a vaccinologist who led vaccine trials in South Africa for AstraZeneca and Novavax, said by text message.