COVID-19 Levels in South Korea’s Wastewater Double Amid Summer Surge
Seoul [South Korea], August 18: The Republic of Korea’s disease control agency reported a significant increase in COVID-19 levels in wastewater, nearly doubling in just a week. This surge follows a rise in infections during the summer vacation season.
Wastewater Surveillance Findings
The Korea Wastewater Surveillance Programme, managed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), revealed that the average concentration of the virus at local sewage treatment plants reached 47,640 copies per millilitre during the second week of August. This marked a sharp rise from the 24,602 copies per millilitre recorded the previous week.
The data is based on the levels of the COVID-19 virus in water treated by 84 wastewater plants across the country. The KDCA has been using this method since April last year to assess the number of COVID-19 patients within communities.
Official Statement
A KDCA official stated, “The project aims to track the trend in the level of COVID-19 virus in wastewater, which has been rising recently.”
Increase in Hospitalisations
Meanwhile, the number of newly hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Korea reached 1,359 during the second week of August, increasing sharply from 878 a week earlier.
Doubts Revealed
COVID-19 -: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called the coronavirus. It can make people sick, and it spreads easily from person to person.
South Korea -: South Korea is a country in East Asia, located on the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It is known for its advanced technology and rich culture.
Wastewater -: Wastewater is used water that comes from homes, schools, businesses, and factories. It includes water from sinks, toilets, and showers.
Disease control agency -: A disease control agency is a government organization that works to prevent and control diseases. In South Korea, this agency helps keep people healthy by monitoring and managing diseases.
Korea Wastewater Surveillance Programme -: The Korea Wastewater Surveillance Programme is a system in South Korea that checks wastewater for signs of viruses like COVID-19. This helps to understand how much of the virus is in the community.
Virus concentration -: Virus concentration refers to the amount of virus present in a certain amount of liquid, like wastewater. It is measured to understand how widespread the virus is.
Copies per millilitre -: Copies per millilitre is a way to measure how much virus is in a liquid. It tells us how many pieces of the virus are in one millilitre of water.
Surge in infections -: A surge in infections means a sudden increase in the number of people getting sick with a disease, like COVID-19.
Summer vacation season -: The summer vacation season is the time during the summer when many people take a break from work or school to travel and relax.
Newly hospitalised -: Newly hospitalised means people who have just been admitted to the hospital because they are very sick and need medical care.
