COVID-19 levels in South Korea's wastewater nearly double in a week

COVID-19 levels in South Korea’s wastewater nearly doubled within a week, signalling a sharp rise in infections following the summer vacation season.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported that the concentration of the virus in sewage treatment plants averaged 47,640 copies per millilitre during the second week of August, a significant jump from 24,602 copies the previous week.

This data, drawn from 84 wastewater plants nationwide, highlights an alarming trend in the spread of COVID-19. The KDCA has been using wastewater analysis since April 2022 to monitor community infection levels.

The surge in wastewater virus levels corresponds with a spike in hospitalisations, which reached 1,359 new cases in the second week of August, up from 878 the previous week.