A new surveillance programme is rolled out to track the virus in Northern Ireland.
"We can also learn a lot about the variants that might be in circulation, we can identify the ones that are currently in circulation and also pick up any new ones that might be arising."Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon, who visited the Wastewater Surveillance Lab on Wednesday, said the project offered a "crucial" method of tracking coronavirus as the number of those testing for the virus falls.
"We know that less people are taking lateral flow tests, less people are going forward for PCR tests," she said. "This surveillance of wastewater is crucial in understanding the spread and prevalence of the virus but more importantly it will be able to help us identify spikes but also new variants. "I think this will really reassure people knowing that this piece of research is taking place and that it will be an important tool in terms of keeping them safe."
Health Minister Robin Swann said the project could be used to monitor other viruses in future - including flu."There's a lot of work still to be done on this but it has proven its scientific value and its medical value."
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