By [email protected] (Kyle Zeeman)

Health and water expert say there is there is little to no chance of contracting Covid-19 from drinking water.

The World Health Organisation  (WHO) said water treatment destroys the coronavirus.

“The risk coronaviruses pose to drinking water is considered to be low and the Sars-CoV-2 virus has not been detected in drinking water supplies.

“Drinking water treatment methods neutralise infectious pathogens present in the water. Sars-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, which means it has a fragile fatty envelope that is easily destroyed by the treatment process. Therefore treated drinking water does not pose a risk for Covid-19.”

While the Omicron variant of the virus was detected in samples of wastewater collected from treatment plants in SA late last year, Prof Craig Kinnear, manager at the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) genomics centre, said there was nothing to be concerned about.

He said the fragments of the virus detected were non-infectious and non-transmittable.

“Individuals with Covid-19 are known to shed viral remains in their faeces. Although the fragments are not infectious, they can be detected in wastewater treatment plants and quantified to give an indication of likely Covid-19 cases locally.”

by Ben Nsemo August 8, 2022, 10:17 am

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