COVID-19: research

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was facing an unprecedented crisis. The pandemic claimed many lives, and a large number of people were at risk of losing their jobs or financial security. Even today, it is practically impossible to assess the extent of the material and social damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis, especially on a global scale. Worldwide, the Wilo-Foundation supported the following measures in the areas of research and science:

Study: SARS-CoV-2 viruses in wastewater

Since the beginning of the pandemic, research groups were working on methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 viruses in wastewater in order to monitor the COVID-19 infection rate among the population. In 2020, a consortium of water researchers from Aachen, virologists from Frankfurt, ecotoxicologists and evolution researchers was able to prove for the first time in Germany that SARS-CoV-2 genetic material can be detected in treatment plants using modern molecular methods. In vitro cell tests revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 fragments detected in the wastewater are non-infectious. However, due to the high loads and low retention capacity of conventional treatment plants, the behaviour of SARS-CoV-2 in the water cycle needed to be investigated in more depth.  The research team was supported by six water boards in North Rhine-Westphalia, the LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics and the University of Saskatoon in Canada and also received financial support from the Wilo-Foundation.

Funding partner: Research Institute for Water and Waste Management at RWTH Aachen (FiW) e.V., Aachen

Germany-China: COVID-19 research

The Wilo-Foundation made a substantial donation of 30,000 euros for coronavirus research to Stiftung Universitätsmedizin Essen (Essen University Medicine Foundation). The funds were used for a coronavirus research project at the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen. As part of the project, the German-Chinese research centre in Wuhan (China), which has been in operation for many years and is currently focusing all its efforts on coronavirus research, received funding. In addition, financial support was needed for patient care services. To give an example: as no visitors were allowed in hospitals, patients were given smartphones to prevent social isolation and make it easier for them to stay in touch with their families. The Wilo-Foundation was the first foundation to join the COVID-19 donation initiative.

Oliver Hermes, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wilo-Foundation and President and CEO of the Wilo Group, explained why the Foundation made the donation: “Wilo, headquartered in Dortmund, is a major global player with around 8,000 employees worldwide and 800 staff members in China, including in Wuhan. The joint German-Chinese research initiative of Essen and Wuhan, supported by Stiftung Universitätsmedizin Essen, is a great example illustrating the close connection between having close ties with the region and engaging in cross-border cooperation – a connection that we value greatly.”

Professor Karl-Heinz Jöckel, Chairman of Stiftung Universitätsmedizin Essen, expressed his gratitude: “The contribution of the Wilo-Foundation helps us provide emergency aid. Rapid assistance that reaches the people is what we need now. Thanks to our ‘donations for coronavirus’ initiative, this is now possible. We are therefore calling on other foundations – both at regional and national level – to act now and make a contribution, too. Thank you.”

Evi Hoch, Executive Board member of the Wilo-Foundation and also a member of the steering committee of the Ruhr Foundation Network, talked about the motives for the donation: “Multipliers such as the Ruhr Foundation Network are a great help at the moment as they quickly spread information on impactful initiatives launched by its members. That is how we immediately learned about the important call for donations for COVID-19 research that was made by Stiftung Universitätsmedizin in Essen.”

Funding partner: Stiftung Universitätsmedizin Essen, Essen

Foto Header: Stiftung Universitätsmedizin Essen, Credit: Mirko Raatz