The pandemic has led people to grow more of their food locally. Why . Well, think our teeth into that question later in this cove at 19 special. But right now, come with us to the republic of congo, where research is studying the lives of guerrillas in the current pandemic as a risk that people will, in fact, the great apes. It is 5 oclock in the morning and Robbie Booker is already tracking through the congolese jungle. Early mornings are the best time for the young environmental scientists to search for and study the gorillas. After a one hour trek, he spot some under strict precautions, he tries to observe them, study their behavior remarkably with the liquid, damascus to avoid contamination. Dearborn contamination with the gorilla with corolla virus. Its important that we protect the animals against the disease because we know that when the disease migrates from humans to animals and then possibly back to humans, it gets very complicated along that would have been a conflict up the north of congo. Browser vol is home to the western lowland gorillas, thousands live here. Nowhere else in the world. Can you find such a density of guerrillas . How dangerous as covert 19 for them . Thats a question, Robbie Barker and his Research Group often debate, but they simply dont have an answer yet. After a silver back, id seriously sick with cove it in the u. S. Su, theyve been very careful. They keep at least 25 meters away from the gorillas, and everyone here is vaccinated. In the early, 2, thousands abolla killed almost 5000 guerrillas. That disease was most likely transmitted by bats, possibly from eating the same fruits. Thats why rubber cocker and a group of students from the university of russellville, are also researching the areas massive back population. The current on the phone. Its very important to follow up on that and pathogens because theres a local community that each bets and scientifically, we know that theres a risk of transferring disease from best to humans. We need to know and avoid that kind of transmission and possibly also forecast what could become future diseases like your future corona, virus literature. One of you in the capital browser vill, there are several high risk places for the spillover of diseases from animals to humans. Bush, me, markets while selling endangered species like religion. Chimpanzees is illegal. Many other varieties of book may can be bought. Rather because i can understand that local residents hunt and eat, push me to make a living. But hes opposed to bush meat markets where he says endangered species are also often sold illegally before the mosley could possibly come these markets that can be considered breeding grounds for diseases in those markets, viruses can be easily transferred from animals to humanists. Let alone up quickly, and when someone contracts the disease, it quickly spreads to others adopted. It can easily escalate from epidemic to pandemic bonding. Thats the danger of those markins in masula to prevent future disease outbreaks among the guerrillas. The scientists have increased surveillance, creating an Early Warning system. The Research Base is the core of the congo conservation company. His research has financed by eco tourism. It also creates employment for the community, encouraging participation in conservation efforts. But they want to keep the number of tourists low. We dont want to push on the glorious to much and or so we dont want to have her a kind of factory and like a lot of people coming in coming in, coming to him. We wanted to keep bits, or as was come as possible to be a bull oh, to manage dads lives of park. And we have the consternation aspects. We dont want the most to reason here. The congo basin is the 2nd largest rain forest in the world, often refer to as the earth, african lung. It absorbs more Greenhouse Gases than the entire continent emits. And it has a unique and diverse ecosystem. In the meantime, robbie, because getting ready for his next tract to the gorillas, he has a few more weeks for his research here before returning to the capital to write his masters thesis longs on his paws. Cuz the reason i think ill never get tired of seeing the guerrillas fit for me, its a dream, its a dream to be here to be able to go and see them as a dream. I can spend all day long watching them for me as well. Thats the life i want to live for that because period. Rather the cocker, once more congolese, to appreciate the environment and study Natural Sciences in his masters course, they are currently only for students. Ah, not far from cape town, live, one of the leading lights of south africa is academic wealth stand embossed University Perry team for such as is on the hunt trend. New virus variance late last year they discovered the on the current variant this is the room where the omicron variant of cupboard was 1st discovered. Professor julio, the only vera of stellan bosh university in south africa is leading a team, conducting the dynamic surveillance of deadly pathogens. And a 100000000 Euro Research facility. How got that . A lot of the what the got very surprised how help africa can, can be a lead that on genomic valence. But we, were not surprised because we, we had to be lead the on genomics, avena thought, or the pot, the agenda for the past 20 years. It was this experience that said south africa apart from the rest of the globe, Scientific Community in isolating, identifying and revealing oma cron south africa may be a middle income country, dealing with rapid unemployment, stubborn poverty. And one of the highest rates of inequality in the world. But it, scientists are world leaders. They are leveraging the experience, gained from over 3 decades of managing one of the globes highest rates of h, i. V and aids to be among the 1st, to discover the intricacies of coven 19 and its variance. One thing that people dont realize is that in addition to the only crop we alphabet, fact that, that, that fat veteran wasnt that be it that and was with our t p and guidance that they united king bed identified that alpha. So in reality, we have to help to identify 3 of the 5 variants, all there was a hypothesis that a cluster of new covet 19 infections. In johannesburg, south africas economic capital were behaving differently than previous variance. He and his team worked around the clock to make the omicron discovery with hundreds of samples flown down to his lab over night. In mid november 2021. We did every feel from beginning to the and the 36 hours, which, which it was a lot of pressure but, but we, we, we had a very clear line of communication and that was reviewed by all the top sciences. And it was crucial because thats what allow and not only the water to and the fan that both feet against the only crew would fade life and death. What we did day in south africa, we had a very small number on that on the only crown wave. And we think that our very quick scientific results to help that one to alpha had a lower level of death. But the discovery did not come without its costs. South Africa Economy took an immediate head. The government extended lockdown measures in response to the announcement. While travel bands to and from the country were immediately imposed by the majority of the global community. And the teams lives were also put in immediate danger. We received many, many, many press menu that threat at given time, we had to put like security in the entrance to the university because we couldnt carry our work. And the big lesson to their work is that they should make mechanisms that dont, in the lives counters to identify new pathogenic. Otherwise, were going to have more than more than we can find them. That, thats not identify the stress of all microns discovery has taken its toll. But professor olivera believes that his professional pressure increases. So should efforts to stay sane and healthy, both mentally and physically so that you relax in this kind of environment. But yeah, you have to think almost every tool that we have in the kinds of Mental Health basket. So in our lab we lost a lot. We, we tell jokes we play a lot. Yeah. I do a lot of extra fi, especially nature heights in the mon thing. Go, i like to be an alpha for me and meditation work. Wow. Every morning wake up around 5 am into a session of meditation before the day after almost 30 years as the genome sequencer professor to olivera believes the future of his profession lies in computing. And that anybody who wants to follow in his footsteps needs to be dedicated and patient the main advice. Sure. Young people that went to become a scientist. Genomics scientists is true is to invest a lot of time, not only on the line in the lab techniques, but learning the coding yeah. Computer coding yes, softer development. Because this days all the data that reproducing this lab is completely automated. And after 27 years in south africa, he has no plans to move abroad. Even though he may have been thrown into the global spotlight. And his, you know, make surveillance skills are in high demand elsewhere. I always had the fashion to walk on science that can help to save lives in south african africa. Its a great place from that. And thats why with the volt, a lot of our time to walking with science, but also informed wasnt on how best to respond to it. The damage, not only part of the truth of it, but also from on there that, that called emissions of the corona virus. May have made professor, ideally, there are a famous beyond the borders of south africa, but he remains committed to his humble approach to solving some of the worlds most pressing health problems. Do you have questions about the career of virus . Science journalist Derek Williams will onto them and bring you up to date with the latest research. Send them to go. The producer at d, w dot com call furnished. The lien wants to know. Have there been human challenge trials where vaccinated people were exposed to new variance . Human challenge trials or h. C. Ts are trials where healthy test subjects are intentionally exposed to pathogens in a tightly controlled setting. Um, theyre very useful when it comes to providing solid data on questions like how much of a virus it takes to really make you sick, for instance, or, or how much protection vaccines really provide. Trying to figure out stuff like that from real world data is tricky and it involves making educated guesses, m h. C. Ts can remove a lot of that guesswork. But of course, intentionally infecting volunteers with diseases that could take a serious or, or even a deadly turn is an ethical minefield. So, h. C. Ts are not entered into lightly. Im aware of only one human challenge trial involving coven 19 so far, which took place in 2021. In the u. K. Im in it. 36 healthy young adults had drops of fluid that contained a controlled amount of sars covey to squirted into their noses. Half of them later tested positive for covert 19, and 16 of them showed symptoms. None classified as serious, although 5 of the subjects did continue to report problems with smell and taste. Im 6 months later. The study helped clarify questions about, for instance, how quickly symptoms begin to develop post infection and, and when viral load pigs. Um, but there was one major drawback. Its that the strain of virus used in the study was isolated from a patient quite early in the pandemic. So before, sorry, cubby to began to seriously mutate. And since then, weve seen a series of new variants as the virus changed and, and pretty fundamental ways becoming a whole lot more transmissible in the process. So although the study provided great data, it was pretty much outdated. By the time the results were published, new human challenge trials would have to more or less start all over using the variance that currently dominate the coven 19 landscape. And then theyd likely be outdated in 6 months or so, which finally brings me to the answer to your question. Im no, i couldnt find any h. C. Ts in progress where vaccinated people were being exposed to new variance. And the reason why is that with the virus still mutating quickly and, and unpredictable ways that they just wouldnt make much sense. Boone reliable day, sir, and needed to respond quickly to the new crane virus ways. And we can find that information in how soon is a Pilot Project in germany shows that monitoring. Ill waste water can give us useful information on the pandemic. The waste water in the holy been Sewage Treatment plant in berlin comes from around 1000000 people. The system process is almost 250000 cubic meters a day. Imagine 1300000 bathtubs filled to the brim. Berlin waterworks, osgood, huck, and as shown, believes what most people consider unpleasant and dirty can give valuable information about the corona virus pandemic. Episode, i thought id say the waste water is really a gold mine for us because not every one goes to the test center of isaac, but everyone does go to the and ultimately provides data that we can use satellite develops. Thats because infected people excrete viruses when they go to the bathroom long before they become ill themselves or in fact others. So why not just see how much are renee that is . Genetic information from viruses arrives at the Sewage Treatment plant and how the numbers change that could flag waves of infection. And as, as music was a mid, its a very, very big mix. That was the problem at the beginning. First of all, we had to make sure that we removed all the other contaminants from the waste water to really be able to isolate the renee. This gave me, its working very well now, and the hopeless that wed be able to get a realistic picture of how the infection is spreading kind. Almost 2 years ago, susanna, lucknow of the university of darmstadt, found out that waste water samples can be used to determine how quickly and how strongly the corona virus is spreading in a region. At that time, she was in the laboratory, looking for an Early Warning system for waves of corona virus. She struck gold with the waste water. The process caused a stir at the time in the netherlands in spain, and in the u. S. Its much cheaper than doing hundreds of thousands of individual corona virus tests. 20 german municipalities have been taking part in the waste Water MonitoringPilot Project since the end of last year, significantly more have applied to be part of it. The bill in waterworks are also involved. Samples are taken twice a week, had several Sewage Treatment plants in the german capital, the participants in the gemini, wide pilot test, to then send the samples tool of oratory for analysis. In order to get results as quickly as possible, berlin, waterworks even bought their own analysis device, Laboratory Head would have little none says that she was able to predict every single wave at the beginning of the year when the number of infections in germany rose rapidly. Isnt an art, were kind of not just and monitoring services, were kind of an Early Warning system and can really predict a way of and when its coming in the way spiral saw the english for he has arg, using the data from around the end of last year what a book and man shows that the waste water analysis delivers results 10 to 14 days faster than the incidence figures based on individual pcr tests. These in your blood sucking you can see blossom bites here. This is the data we processed from the p c, our machine in our, in a copies per liter. If i click here, now here we had 1500000. 00 virus particles per liter of waste water data. And now if you Pay Attention to the green line, the green line is the incidence number of the human samples. And so you can see the green peak always lags behind the blue spikes, se vehicle there blow and cool over in my winter here. No, ive and when viewed over a longer period of time, the peaks in the blue wastewater data can be seen earlier than the incidences which are based on individual pcr tests. Whats more, the laboratory can also determine which virus variance are represented. And to what extent one could therefore react quickly if a more dangerous variant began to prevail over less harmful variance as he who desires while i insane that it definitely makes sense to go beyond the pilot phase and make this part of the routine and not just for controlling corona viruses, but also for example, influenza viruses wholly on viruses and gastro intestinal tract viruses. You set up a waste Water Monitoring system to get an overview. Whats going on with it now . What sections should we expect to see or non misunderstood . The Pilot Program will soon be completed. Now the German Authorities have to agree to nationwide wasteWater Monitoring. It shouldnt be about the money for around 500. 00 euros. You can get insights into a reliable trend of infection development for hundreds of thousands of people. Very early on, just by looking at the waste water agriculture uses a lot of water bots. As a result of the pandemic projects in the Indian States of carola, are increasingly relying on local cultivation. Technology allows the scarce water available for urban farming to be used more efficiently. Its planting season and reaching home. Our dos is placing green chili peppers into the soil. The plastic sheeting traps the moisture inside. He has worked as a farmer for 6 years. V j dance is originally from rural a, some in northern india, but he has learned these farming techniques here and the city of futile vaughan on the podium in corolla on the south western coast. If they give me belatoya, i make refinance to just help my dad before i came here, theres up, up, up, up. Hell got up like a bigger be as good. Now you have learned a lot about farming and about the technology malware. Plus what nickelodeon made no matter where i go, i dont have to worry young bo mitigate. No one has. He told me what to do since i already know malemad medicine does bundle mc um. Got a psych bell v j das works for glean agro ventures. A Small Company on the citys outskirts, it provides farming and Technical Training to people to set up farms on unused urban land. Launched in 2016. The Company Integrates technology with traditi