Preliminary findings from a study by the Israeli technology company KANDO showed that the centers of coronary heart disease can be accurately determined with the help of the sewer system.

• Can we soon focus on the point of the corona eruption?

  Photo: 

  Reuters - Archive

An unprecedented study by the Israeli sewage monitoring technology company KANDO together with researchers from Ben Gurion University and the Technion announced today (Thursday) the first findings of a pilot project to locate coronavirus virus outbreaks.

The pilot was conducted in Ashkelon, where researchers were able to locate remnants of the virus in the city's sewage system. The results indicated the ability to detect early outbreaks until an exact location of a neighborhood and even a particular street where there is a high concentration of the virus. One of the findings is that detecting virus residues in wastewater is a quicker and earlier means of detection than testing for individuals, taking into account the time between infection in the corona and the onset of symptoms.

The researchers developed an interdisciplinary method and technology for monitoring the sewer network, which began with tests at a sewage treatment plant and progressed "upstream" toward the city itself. KANDO's technology uses an array of sensors, placed in many sewers in the city, along with the use of advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence.

Prof. Gamzo presented the plan to fight Corona // Photo Archive: GPO

During the pilot, industrial wastewater analysis was used and rates of the population infected in Corona were inferred by using available information, including taking into account factors such as components in sewage that may destroy the virus and the flow rate that dilutes its concentration in water.

The researchers were able to quantify the information collected and accurately describe the epidemiological and environmental findings. The findings helped target the eruption area to a particular neighborhood and even individual streets. The pilot findings will provide authorities with the ability to detect corona outbreaks early and may help reduce closure areas. Early detection of outbreak foci will allow for much more accurate treatment and will avoid extensive closures.

"Identifying corona residues in sewage is extremely challenging, due to the many substances present in the water, such as industrial waste, that can dilute and even destroy the virus residues," said Professor Nadav Davidovich, director of the Public Health School at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. “The unique methodology allowed us to detect and locate the virus and calculate its concentration taking into account additional factors.

Through integration with epidemiological findings, we were able to accurately locate the foci of the outbreak. The findings will allow authorities to take action to reduce future outbreaks. The scientific-interdisciplinary approach we have taken will continue to help eradicate corona and other diseases. "

"Monitoring sewage is like a blood test for an entire city," said Ari Goldfarb, CEO of KANDO. "Preliminary and promising findings from our pilot show that our advanced wastewater monitoring systems can help detect early outbreaks and even detect their severity. Together with our partners, we demonstrated that we can provide authorities with insights that can be used to alert and alert them to outbreaks, even before their residents develop symptoms. Our hope is that we will be able to help cities around the world prevent widespread closures and help address future outbreaks. "

KANDO is a smart wastewater management company that uses big data, "Internet of Things" (IoT), original algorithms and artificial intelligence, which provides municipalities and service providers with information and control of their wastewater, by detecting contamination anomalies and blockages in real time.