Testing on raw sewage in Athens showed a steep spike in Covid-19 infections and the use of cocaine over the holiday season.
“The reality is that in the last month we have had a very large increase in the general load in the wastewater of both the coronavirus and other respiratory viruses such as influenza A and syncytial virus (RSV),” Thomaidis said.
“The viral load of the coronavirus is much, much higher than that of the other two, but having the other two viruses together makes the combination pretty serious.”
Thomaidis said the data show that Covid-19 spread far and wide over the holiday season. “The last week has shown increases of 85-90% in these viruses and this means that in the next 2-3 weeks we will have an even higher viral load.”
Speaking to ERT about the results of the analyzes from the waste water of the Attica Region, the professor emphasized that “the analyzes of the waste water never lie because they are real measurements in real time.”
They expect an increase in viral load
“Obviously the material burden of the coronavirus is much higher than the other two, but the coexistence of the other two viruses (influenza and RSV) makes this cocktail quite serious,” he said, clarifying that the last week of 2023 showed increases of 85 – 90% in these viruses and this means that in the next two to three weeks we will have an even higher viral load.
Regarding the flu, he said that the viral load doubled and that there was a very large spread.
“This year we saw a delay of 15-20 days and this is possibly due to the very good weather conditions we had in the previous period. But now, as humidity increases, temperatures drop and social contacts increase significantly, we saw this increase in viral load very early,” Thomaidis stressed.
“I think there will be a peak in the next two to three weeks and then a slow de-escalation will begin. However, we should keep in mind that at the same time, the increase in influenza type B begins in February and March,” he said, pointing out that a new, but weaker, wave of the coronavirus is expected from March.
On January 1, the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) said it had recorded 229 new admissions of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals in the past 24 hours, of which 64 were in Athens.
Cocaine consumption doubled during the holidays
cocaine consumption in wastewater: average week vs holiday weeks
Analyzing the findings in the wastewater of the Attica Region, Thomaidis also focused on the increase in psychotropic substances observed during the holidays.
Commenting on the findings on the prevalence of cocaine, he pointed out that in the period before Christmas use jumped from 1 kg per day to almost doubling.
“It is a given that during the holidays, and we have proven this in various papers and publications, there is an abuse,” he pointed out.
thomaidis underlined that “the pandemic and the prolonged economic crisis that comes from the past has imprinted in the entries a change in behavior. The increase in the use of psychotropic drugs as well as stimulants is the result of a prolonged pressure in the world.”
