Prof Neil Gemmell, a geneticist at the University of Otago, is part of a national group, led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR).
The group is sampling wastewater, with a view to detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
ESR recently received $1.65million in Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment funding to undertake wastewater-related viral detection research.
Prof Gemmell’s research group had already detected coronavirus in wastewater at Dunedin’s Tahuna Wastewater Treatment Plant in late March and April, he said.
And big overseas developments in the field showed the required technology was established and effective.
The Washington Post reported late last month the University of Arizona, in the United States, had undertaken periodic screenings of wastewater for coronavirus on its campus, and had detected two asymptomatic students at a dormitory, preventing a sizeable outbreak.
Prof Gemmell was keen to see wastewater monitoring implemented at the country’s international airports and ports to detect any "hot spots" of new infection.
This approach could also be deployed regionally to provide monitoring of specific regions, such as Auckland, he said.
"With Covid-19 cases re-emerging, albeit currently contained in quarantine facilities, the ability to test sewage at facility, local and regional scales could well be an important part of New Zealand’s surveillance safety net."
This approach could also be used to identify "virus circulating in asymptomatic carriers", potentially preventing community outbreaks, he said.
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I am so over smug academics using this mild flu to try and gain relevancy. Talking about testing wastewater. What a waste of time and money
One million dead in less than ten months, long term health effects with no cure; this pandemic is no mild flu.
Long term? It's been around what, 9 odd months?
That's not long term by any stretch.
Check previous deaths from pandemics in their first months as well, then when it's declared over (which this one will never be, too much power at stake)
Long term because people are still getting secondary bouts months after recovery and this pandemic is showing no signs of abating. There is no hard information on what this virus is doing or what it will do, because no one knows, the health sector is still learning. I take my cues from the health experts.
I am so over keyboard kooks who seek to undermine the sterling efforts of frontline warriors in the fight against this very real threat to the most vulnerable of our people.
"Truthtimeplease", an oxymoronic title if ever I've seen one given this latest post.