The government-mandated covid-19 screening in Prague schools on Monday recorded 1,100 positive antigen tests. Subsequent PCR tests have so far revealed 140 positive children.

The director of the Prague hygienists, Zdeňka Jágrová, told the press today that they do not yet know the complete results. In some schools in Prague, the city is also testing methods of wastewater analysis, which, according to representatives of the participating city districts, have proved successful.

The government has ordered comprehensive testing in schools in most Czech districts with regard to the development of the epidemic, on Monday, November 8 and 15. The first area antigen tests in case of a positive result are confirmed by a more accurate PCR method. In Prague, according to city councilor Vít Šimral (Pirates), Monday’s testing involved 94,000 children. He added that 35,000 children were tested during the spring testing, of which 15 were also positive.

The city, in cooperation with the Prague Water Supply and Sewerage (PVK), the University of Chemical Technology (ICT) and the city districts of Prague 9 and Lysolaje, is testing a method for measuring viral load in wastewater in seven schools. According to the mayor of Prague 9, Tomáš Portlík (ODS), it was clear from the results in mid-October that the situation was deteriorating. According to him, the occurrence of the virus in wastewater can give local governments good guidance, which schools focus on.

This was also confirmed by Jan Bartáček from the Institute of Chemical Technology, according to which the measurements now correspond to the statistics of the Ministry of Health. “At the moment, our numbers agree relatively well with what the epidemiological data say,” he said. He added that, with one exception, the measurement did not detect the presence of the virus and was subsequently not confirmed by testing in schools. Šimral said that next year the city would like to expand the measurement to several dozen schools. Jágrová added that from next year the method could be used elsewhere in the republic.

ČTK, illustration photo (wastewater sampling in Novoborská primary school) Naše voda – Nina Havlová

11.11.2021 15.21, Rubric: What we should know about water, Beverages and water in food, Water purity and recreation, Water supply and sewerage, Statistics and cases