COVID-19 surveillance in Southeastern Virginia using wastewater-based epidemiology

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) monitors community health by analyzing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent.
• WBE is valuable for tracking disease spread, including novel Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), especially when combined with clinical data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detect and quantify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater from southeastern Virginia.
• To assess the utility of WBE in monitoring COVID-19 outbreaks and informing public health strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three quantitative reverse transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) assays (N1, N2, N3) to analyze weekly WWTP influent samples.
• Collected samples from nine WWTPs over a twenty-one week period.
• Normalized viral RNA loading rates by population to correlate with community-level outbreaks.

Main Results:

• SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected sporadically initially, with increasing frequency and concentration from mid-March to late July.
• Viral RNA concentrations ranged from 10^1 to 10^4 copies/100 mL in positive samples.
• Population-normalized loading rates in some WWTP areas correlated with known COVID-19 outbreaks.

Conclusions:

• WBE effectively tracked SARS-CoV-2 circulation in southeastern Virginia.
• Proposed spatial and temporal data presentation methods to aid public health officials.
• Highlighted WBE's potential as a pre-screening tool for targeted clinical testing during localized outbreaks.