Covid infections appear on the wane in Thessaloniki

More than two weeks after the Christmas holiday, a leading indicator of coronavirus infection appears to be in a slight decline in Thessaloniki, researchers say.

Chemists in Athens and Thessaloniki are monitoring the "viral content" in human waste. The method not only gives a more accurate picture of the spread of the disease, but also allows researchers to predict whether confirmed cases, detected through testing, will trend upwards or downwards in the coming days.

Professor Nikos Papaioannou, rector of Thessaloniki's Aristotle University and coordinator of the research says that next week's measurements will show whether social activity over the New Year's and Epiphany holidays have resulted in increased infections or not.