Minuscule traces of coronavirus in Paris water not a risk: Chinese scholars

The detection of “minuscule traces” of the novel coronavirus in non-potable water in Paris is very unlikely to raise the local epidemic infection risk for residents, Chinese scholars said on Monday, due to the extremely low density of the virus in water.

Analysts added that the discovery is probably only a result of sample contamination by collectors who themselves were infected.

The French city’s water authority laboratory detected tiny amounts of the virus in four of 27 samples collected from around the city, AFP reported on Sunday, which led to an immediate shutdown of the network as a precaution.

The report also quoted a city official as saying that drinking water is at no risk of contamination in Paris, as it is supplied from a “totally independent” network.

Yao Maosheng, a bioaerosol study expert and professor at the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering in Peking University, Beijing, also reached this conclusion from another perspective, saying the density of the virus in the water, if any, cannot reach a level that presents a risk of spread.

If you imagine the amount of virus required to pollute the whole of the river Seine, it is very unlikely to take place, Yao said.

It is probable that some COVID-19 patients polluted the sample during the collecting process, or contaminated the collection site, such as the surface of water or utensils, he noted.

France on Sunday reported 395 deaths from COVID-19 in 24 hours as the number of new hospitalizations continued a slow decline.

As of Sunday, there have been 110,721 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 19,294 deaths reported in France, according to WHO data.