Dealing with the corona virus is gaining momentum and decision makers will soon have a new tool that will enable quick, optimal, information-based decision making.
After a number of successful pilots carried out in the last two years, the Ministry of Health has started implementing technology that is an innovative solution for monitoring corona virus in wastewater.
The solution is based on the use of sensors and control units installed in municipal sewer systems, and on computer analysis and analytics (Big Data and AI), in order to present relevant insights and alerts to decision makers.
This will enable alerting to latent morbidity, the onset of future waves of morbidity, and the discovery of new variants through geographical identification of hotspots in a way that allows for security, continued routine, growth and economic prosperity as much as possible.
The project was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Viral Laboratory at Sheba Tel Hashomer, in collaboration with Kando, researchers from Ben Gurion University - Professors Ariel Kushmero, Nadav Davidovich and Kobi Moran-Gilad and Prof. Eran Friedler from the Environmental, Water and Agriculture Engineering Department of the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
According to the plan, as part of this project, settlements larger than 20,000 residents will be monitored twice a week.
The solution makes it possible to take a sample that best represents the potential for detecting virus residues and thus, according to the level of viral load in the effluent, monitor the level of morbidity in a particular area cell.
The collected samples are transferred to laboratories at Ben-Gurion University, where a PCR test adapted to sewage is performed.
If the result is positive, an additional test is performed to quantify the omicron variant and other variants.
This is a process that takes about 24 hours from the moment the sample is made until the results are received, at the end of which a real picture is obtained and a tool used to protect public health.
This project makes the Ministry of Health and the State of Israel world leaders in dealing with the corona virus by using a nationwide system to detect the virus in wastewater and protect public health, while applying technology and assimilation that does not interfere with the continued normal life of the population.
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