Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater with COVID-19 disease burden in sewersheds.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is shed in feces and the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) is detectable in wastewater. A nine-week wastewater epidemiology study of ten wastewater facilities, serving 39% of the state of Utah or 1.26 M individuals was conducted in April and May of 2020. COVID-19 cases were tabulated from within each sewershed boundary. RNA from SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in 61% of 126 wastewater samples. Urban sewersheds serving >100,000 individuals and tourist communities had higher detection frequencies. An outbreak of COVID-19 across two communities positively correlated with an increase in wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while a decline in COVID-19 cases preceded a decline in RNA. SARS-CoV-2 RNA followed a first order decay rate in wastewater, while 90% of the RNA was present in the liquid phase of the influent. Infiltration and inflow, virus decay and sewershed characteristics should be considered during correlation analysis of SAR-CoV-2 with COVID-19 cases. These results provide evidence of the utility of wastewater epidemiology to assist in public health responses to COVID-19.

• Authors: Jennifer Weidhaas, Zachary T Aanderud, D Keith Roper, James VanDerslice, Erica Brown Gaddis, Jeff Ostermiller, Ken Hoffman, Rubayat Jamal, Phillip Heck, Yue Zhang, Kevin Torgersen, Jacob Vander Laan, Nathan LaCross
• Journal: The Science of the total environment (Sci Total Environ) Vol. 775 Pg. 145790 (Jun 25 2021) ISSN: 1879-1026 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 33618308 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• RNA, Viral
• Waste Water

Topics

• COVID-19
• Coronavirus
• Cost of Illness
• Humans
• RNA, Viral
• SARS-CoV-2
• Utah
• Wastewater