Bhubaneswar: The Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) in Bhubaneswar will conduct research on COVID levels in wastewater in three cities of Odisha, Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra informed on Tuesday.
The Special Secretary (Public Health) of Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Department wrote to Joint Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Director, RMRC Director, Director of Institute of Life Science (ILS), and to the Superintendent of Cuttack SCB in this regard on October 1.
According to sources, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Puri will be covered in the first phase to ascertain the current situation of coronavirus, keeping in view the floating populations in these cities. The study will be later extended to Rourkela and Berhampur.
The research will also help to ascertain if there are chances of an increase in COVID transmission, said Mishra.
A meeting was held on September 8 on the study of community wastewater under the chairmanship of the H&FW Department Special Secretary (Public Health).
The RMRC Director will submit a proposal through Directorate of Public Health for the study taking into account the epidemiological analysis as well as the vulnerability of outbreak of any pathogen disease with financial implications, the letter added.
