Lessons learned from SARS-CoV-2 measurements in wastewater

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Epidemiology
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Standardized protocols for wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) of SARS-CoV-2 are crucial for early COVID-19 outbreak detection.
• Establishing integrated WBS and human surveillance programs provides valuable insights into disease monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report lessons learned from establishing a SARS-CoV-2 WBS program integrated with human surveillance.
• To evaluate the impact of water quality, detection technologies, viral loads, and data integration on WBS effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Implemented WBS across three university campuses, including residential dormitories and a hospital.
• Assessed water quality variability between sampling sites.
• Utilized a novel polymerase (V2G) for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection.
• Integrated environmental (wastewater) and human surveillance data.

Main Results:

• Water quality varied significantly between sewer sampling sites, with higher variability from individual buildings.
• Detectable SARS-CoV-2 levels ranged from 10^2 to 10^6 genomic copies per liter.
• WBS detection of 100 gc/L correlated with a 4% human positivity rate, indicating WBS utility.
• Increased wastewater sampling frequency from weekly to daily could enhance early COVID-19 surge detection.

Conclusions:

• Wastewater-based surveillance is a valuable tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2.
• Optimizing detection technology and increasing sampling frequency can improve the predictive power of WBS for COVID-19.
• Integrating environmental and human surveillance data enhances early warning capabilities for infectious disease outbreaks.