S.Korea to test sewage samples for COVID-19

South Korea this month will begin weekly tests of sewage produced by its major cities and towns to track the spread of COVID-19 and identify future waves.

Officials at the Korea Centers Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that wastewater surveillance will potentially provide a cheaper and more sustainable tool in the country’s pandemic response.

They say it could also improve the detection of other outbreaks.Health workers will conduct tests on sewage samples collected from 64 wastewater facilities nationwide at least once a week and regularly release analyses of the test results on its website.