The University of Barcelona has found the presence of the Covid-19 virus in sewage water analysed from the 15th of January.

The Chairman of the Sociedad Española de Virología, Professor Albert Bosch, who heads the Department of Microbiology at the university, explained; “We found the presence of SARS in old samples from the 15th of January; we’re talking about 40 days before the first reported case in Spain,” which was on the 25th of February.

He considers that this system of analysis allows us to “greatly anticipate the presence of the virus in the population, giving us a margin of time to act quickly.”

He also thinks that there were early cases mistaken for common influenza during the flu season. Owing to cases being mistaken for the common flu and the fact that many sufferers were asymptomatic meant that the virus got a hold without being detected.

As far as the future goes, he says that they are preparing a strategic-vigilance system, not only in Cataluña but also for the rest of Spain, which can be put into effect immediately. He did point out with sewage treatment plants it is hard to trace the virus but in the collection points before they reach the plants it can still be detected.

He finished by saying that the virus is still being found in sewage water but to a much smaller degree.

(News: Barcelona, Cataluña)