Good news ! A recent published this Thursday, June 29, 2021 by the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus is not present in seawater, nor in shellfish, thus confirming a first study of July 9, 2020. We will therefore be able to swim and enjoy oysters, mussels… without fear of catching Covid-19.
No coronavirus in the sea, in shells or in the pool
“Since May 31, we have stopped the regular monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 that we have been carrying out since April 2020 on the entire coast of France.announces Soizick Le Guyader, virologist and head of the Nantes “Health, Environment and Microbiology” laboratory at Ifremer. Monthly samples were taken from 21 sites until October 2020, then from 13 sites, all known to be contaminated with human-made releases.
Since mid-April, French researchers from Ifremer have been studying samples of seawater and shellfish collected at around thirty strategic points: on the beaches of Normandy, the Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean…
Result ? No trace of the coronavirus: “we have never detected a Sars-Cov-2 genome in our tests so far“confirms Dr. Soizick Le Guyader, virologist and head of Ifremer’s microbiology laboratory.
Vigilance due to waste water
Ifremer will therefore reduce its surveillance but vigilance is still required. “Insofar as the SARS-CoV-2 genome is nevertheless present in the wastewater that we regularly analyze within the framework of the Obépine network, Ifremer has decided to remain on alert and to deploy its monitoring system in sites potentially contaminated by wastewater following a sewage treatment plant accident or network leaks”announces Jean-Côme Piquet, head of the microbiological monitoring network (REMI).
However, to date, the risk of coastal contamination remains low. All the conditions are currently met: wastewater treatment limits the spread of the virus in the marine environment, its circulation in the population slows down and its concentration in wastewater decreases. “Only the accidental spillage of untreated raw water could lead to contamination of the coast”warns Soizick Le Guyader.
At the beginning of June 2020, researchers had already shown that it was almost impossible to catch the coronavirus by bathing in a swimming pool. On the other hand, at the beach as at the edge of the swimming pool, barrier gestures must remain topical in this period of epidemic; we also think of protecting ourselves from the sun (with suitable sunglasses and sunscreen) which constitutes another threat!
Source :Ifremer
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