The COVID19 caseload of Karnataka, or specifically Bengaluru, has always been higher during any wave as compared to Telangana, particularly Hyderabad. It could be due to higher infection rate or increased testing, but there is no denying that health authorities there had access to precise data about the virus, thanks to efficient sewage surveillance.
“We have tied up with the local municipal authorities and other scientific institutions to monitor samples from the sewage treatment plants and wastewater flows to check the infection rate. It is possible to deduce the possible peak or plateau in cases at least a week in advance for the government to make decisions on imposing or lifting curbs,” says Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) director Rakesh Mishra.
Sewage surveillance would help in public health responses and preventive care like technological tools used to forecast cyclones and monsoons, helping the governments protect millions of lives and avoid enormous economic loss. “The best part is with a small investment, we can have amazing results with non-obtrusive, non-invasive methods like blood samples or the likes,” he points out, in an exclusive interaction.
