Wastewater monitoring results show that Covid-19 variant Eris is already present in Salaspils, Jēkabpils, Daugavpils, Jelgava, Talsi and Limbaži, as LETA was informed by Riga Technical University (RTU) External Communication Office manager Dita Arāja.
The new Covid-19 variant Eris has been confirmed in Latvia. Since summer 2023 it has been spreading in other countries of the world, especially China and the US, according to results of wastewater monitoring, which confirmed the presence of this SARS-CoV-2 variant in 16 Latvian municipalities.
Monitoring of wastewater is performed by a team of scientists and experts from RTU, BIOR Scientific Institute for Food Safety, Animal Health and the Environment and Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (BMC).
Eris has yet to be officially confirmed in Latvia. However, wastewater monitoring does confirm the virus is present. This monitoring method makes it possible to identify the new mutation much faster.
As noted by Arāja, wastewater samples are collected in 16 municipalities, adapting the frequency of tests in accordance with the epidemiological situation in the country.
So far the new variant has been confirmed in Salaspils, Jēkabpils, Daugavpils, Jelgava, Talsis and Limbaži. Based on the knowledge acquired over the past two years about the ways the virus spreads in Latvia, the team of experts estimate the current number of people infected with Eric variant is small at the moment.
Disease Prevention and Control Centre’s Infectious Diseases Risk Analysis and Prevention Office’s Director Jurijs Perevoščikovs explains that the new Covid-19 Omicron variant Eris appeared in Latvia later than it did in other countries, adding that the virus is already spreading among residents.
It is likely this new variant will become the dominant one.
Perevoščikovs stresses that Eris has yet to be confirmed for Covid-19 patients, because, as risks change, mass tests of residents is no longer useful. Tests are mostly performed on hospitalised patients.
This means wastewater monitoring at the moment is a source of epidemiologically important information to help follow changes with the spread of the virus. Data acquired also reflects infection rates and helps detect mutations of the virus and the appearance of new variants.
Although new Covid-19 mutations aren’t as dangerous as the original, the World Health Organisation still carefully follows this variant of the virus because it is different to previous variants of the virus.
Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control shows that the average spread of Eris in the European Union reaches 60%. However, there is no proof to suggest this variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus causes severe illness, says Perevoščikovs.
Wastewater monitoring data shows that since the end of August the spread of Covid-19 in Latvia has been on a rise. This can be explained with both the start of the school year and people’s return from the countryside after their summer vacations.
RTU rector Tālis Juhna believes this monitoring programme is proven effective – it helps predict the potential infection risk. Data from the monitoring can be used to identify other viruses as well. This is why it is important to continue this monitoring. RTU performs various studies to assist with the identification of Covid-19 and reduction of infection risks. The monitoring process itself is constantly refined to raise its accuracy.
RTU Water Systems and Bio-technologies Institute’s leading researcher Sandis Dejus says that the monitoring is excellent evidence of how scientific research and successful inter-institutional cooperation have served as the basis for the development of tools important for public health monitoring.
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