COVID-19 Surveillance in Wastewater: An Epidemiological Tool for the Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2

Overview

Journal Front Cell Infect Microbiol

Specialties Cell Biology
Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Date 2023 Jan 23

PMID 36683701

Authors

Sajida Maryam

Ihtisham Ul Haq

Galal Yahya

Mehboob Ul Haq

Abdelazeem M Algammal

Sameh Saber

Simona Cavalu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted a lot of questions globally regarding the range of information about the virus's possible routes of transmission, diagnostics, and therapeutic tools. Worldwide studies have pointed out the importance of monitoring and early surveillance techniques based on the identification of viral RNA in wastewater. These studies indicated the presence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in human feces, which is shed excreta including mucus, feces, saliva, and sputum. Subsequently, they get dumped into wastewater, and their presence in wastewater provides a possibility of using it as a tool to help prevent and eradicate the virus. Its monitoring is still done in many regions worldwide and serves as an early "warning signal"; however, a lot of limitations of wastewater surveillance have also been identified.

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