Oktoberfest waste water is tested for corona viruses - no Wiesn wave detected yet

Created: 09/24/2022, 10:22 am

By: Antonio Jose Riether

In view of the Oktoberfest, the risk of a corona wave is high.

Researchers hope to use the wastewater to detect an increase in infections at an early stage.

Munich – Before the Oktoberfest began, most politicians agreed.

A mass event is a risk, and the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder also said: "The number of infections will probably increase, that's the experience of the previous festivals".

Measurements are therefore already being taken during the Oktoberfest, but not through tests, which Karl Lauterbach would like to see in front of the tents, but through waste water samples.

But you still have to be patient with regard to results.

Corona at the Oktoberfest: Researchers examine wastewater - "See that there's a lot going on"

This year, the Wiesn is under the sign of the pandemic, even if you don't immediately suspect it given the crowds celebrating in the tents.

This year, Munich scientists are specifically examining the wastewater from the Oktoberfest in order to be able to detect an early increase in infections.

The waste water is continuously tested for components of the virus, samples are taken daily before and after the Wiesn.

This year, the wastewater at the Oktoberfest will be tested for components of the corona virus.

© imagebroker/imago

As Andreas Wieser from the department for infectious and tropical medicine at the LMU Klinikum Munich reports to the dpa, there is a similar concentration of viruses there as in the city area.

"We can already see that something is going on there," says the head of the coronavirus laboratory.

However, a Wiesn wave cannot yet be determined: "We cannot make any statements about this yet," says Wieser.

Corona wave at the Oktoberfest?

“Also monitor city wastewater for comparison”

However, there is a reason for this.

“We have an incubation period of five days.

It is not to be expected that you will see big jumps there now,” explains the researcher.

To make matters worse, the Wiesn wastewater is apparently relatively heavily diluted compared to municipal wastewater, which affects the result.

The reasons for this are a lot of flushing water, the release of large quantities of urine and heavy rain at the beginning of the Wiesn.

Researchers use wastewater samples to obtain information on the spread of the virus.

© Stephanie Pilick/dpa

The fact that most visitors to the Oktoberfest are distributed throughout the city is not necessarily conducive to evaluating the results.

“Most of the guests are also in hotels or live in Munich or the surrounding area, so that they can also introduce viruses into the water here as cases of infection.

That's why we also monitor the city's wastewater for comparison," said Wieser.

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Wastewater samples during the Oktoberfest: Holetschek expects an increase in the number of corona

Despite the adversities, the method seems to work, and the virus can still be detected in the diluted wastewater from the folk festival.

Variants can also be determined by certain sequencing, here the genetic composition of the virus is examined more closely.

A supporter of the sewage observations is the Bavarian Health Minister Klaus Holetschek, who was also in favor of the Wiesn implementation.

According to the CSU politician, the development is also being closely monitored in connection with the Oktoberfest.

Monitoring the wastewater is an additional approach to gaining knowledge about the virus.

Holetschek also expects an increase in the numbers, but for him “the situation in the hospitals” is decisive.

There are staff shortages there, but these must be compensated for.

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For the reasons given, the research team cannot yet present any major results.

It will take a week and a half to two weeks after the start of the Oktoberfest before the waves of infection become apparent in the incidence and in the wastewater.