Viral load stabilizing in Thessaloniki, wastewater analysis shows

Prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Thessaloniki’s wastewater appears to be stabilizing after a sharp spike, scientists monitoring the viral load in the northern port city said on Thursday.

“Despite the average weekly increase in the viral load in the last two weeks, the two latest measurements this week show a partial de-escalation or stabilization trend,” Aristotle University rector and head of the research team, Professor Nikos Papaioannou, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).

According to the team, measurements taken on Monday and Tuesday showed an increase in the viral load of just 2% compared with March 12 and 14. However, it was also 41% down from the average value a week earlier, on March 8-9.

Papaioannou underlined that despite signs of progress, Thessaloniki’s viral load is still high, especially given the lockdown.

“We are at a crucial point and, if we are not careful, we could easily reach emergency levels very soon,” he warned.