Dutch microbiologist wins Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for work to curb Covid-19 spread

“SINGAPORE – A Dutch microbiologist whose work pioneered the use of wastewater surveillance to curb the spread of the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic is the recipient of the 2024 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, it was announced on April 16.
Professor Gertjan Medema, principal microbiologist at the KWR Water Research Institute in the Netherlands, and his team began collecting wastewater samples across the Netherlands in early 2020 to test for the Sars-CoV-2 virus, recognising the need for early detection and monitoring amid the emergence of Covid-19. They were able to detect evidence of the virus in the wastewater of several cities even before official reports confirmed its presence in these areas.
Prof Medema’s work was foundational in establishing wastewater-based epidemiology as a tool for public health surveillance during the pandemic. His first publication in the area garnered more than 1,400 citations between 2020 and 2023.”

(Citation: Abdullah, Z. – Dutch microbiologist wins Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for work to curb Covid-19 spread – www.straitstimes.com (2024)16 April)