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Quantification and Whole Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Air Samples
Published on: June 30, 2023
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SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in US wastewater: Leading indicators and data variability analysis in 2023-2024
Hannes Schenk1,2, Wolfgang Rauch2, Alessandro Zulli1
1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America.
Plos One
|November 18, 2024
Summary
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) effectively tracks COVID-19 trends. Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels predict hospitalizations 2-12 days in advance, offering a timely public health surveillance tool.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Public health
- Virology
Background:
- Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) is a valuable tool for community disease monitoring.
- Assessing the 2023-2024 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in the US is crucial.
- Declining clinical reporting necessitates alternative surveillance methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate WBE for tracking COVID-19 in the US using wastewater data.
- To compare wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations with hospitalization data.
- To analyze temporal relationships between wastewater viral load and clinical cases.
Main Methods:
- Collected wastewater samples from 189 treatment plants across 40 states and DC.
- Measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations, normalized using pepper-mild mottle virus.
- Correlated wastewater data with national and state-level COVID-19 hospitalization data.
- Performed temporal analyses, including peak timing and cross-correlation lag.
Main Results:
- Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations preceded hospitalization admissions by 2 to 12 days.
- Significant correlation observed between wastewater viral RNA and hospitalization data.
- Wastewater treatment plant size influenced the variability of measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations.
Conclusions:
- WBE provides a non-invasive, timely, and resource-efficient method for disease surveillance.
- WBE is particularly effective given declining COVID-19 clinical reporting.
- Wastewater monitoring offers a valuable complement to traditional public health surveillance.
