Making waves: Wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19-approaches and challenges for surveillance and prediction

David Polo; Marcos Quintela-Baluja; Alexander Corbishley; Davey L. Jones; Andrew C. Singer; David W. Graham; Jesus L. Romalde

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2020.116404

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Making waves: Wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19-approaches and challenges for surveillance and prediction

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Making waves: Wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19-approaches and challenges for surveillance and prediction

David Polo, Marcos Quintela-Baluja, Alexander Corbishley, Davey L. Jones, Andrew C. Singer, David W. Graham and Jesus L. Romalde

Water research (Oxford), Vol.186, 116404

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116404

PMID: 32942178

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Abstract

Engineering

Engineering, Environmental

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

Technology

Water Resources

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the feces of infected patients and wastewater has drawn attention, not only to the possibility of fecal-oral transmission but also to the use of wastewater as an epidemiological tool. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted problems in evaluating the epidemiological scope of the disease using classical surveillance approaches, due to a lack of diagnostic capacity, and their application to only a small proportion of the population. As in previous pandemics, statistics, particularly the proportion of the population infected, are believed to be widely underestimated. Furthermore, analysis of only clinical samples cannot predict outbreaks in a timely manner or easily capture asymptomatic carriers. Threfore, community-scale surveillance, including wastewater-based epidemiology, can bridge the broader community and the clinic, becoming a valuable indirect epidemiological prediction tool for SARS-CoV-2 and other pandemic viruses. This article summarizes current knowledge and discusses the critical factors for implementing wastewater-based epidemiology of COVID-19.

Details

Title: Making waves: Wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19-approaches and challenges for surveillance and prediction
Authors/Creators: David Polo - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Marcos Quintela-Baluja - Newcastle University
Alexander Corbishley - Roslin Institute
Davey L. Jones - Bangor University
Andrew C. Singer - UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
David W. Graham - Newcastle University
Jesus L. Romalde - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Publication Details: Water research (Oxford), Vol.186, 116404
Publisher: Elsevier
Number of pages: 7
Grant note: NE/M010996/1 / NERC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) EP/R036705/1 / EPSRC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 2014-PG110 / Xunta de Galicia (Spain); Xunta de Galicia NE/V004883/1 / Natural Environment Research Council's (UK) COVID-19 Urgency programme Centre of Expertise for Waters EP/R511584/1 / EPSRC IAA program (UK)
Identifiers: 991005560423707891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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20 Record Views

255 Times Cited - Web of Science

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 1 Clinical & Life Sciences; 1.104 Virology - General; 1.104.1353 Coronavirus Research
Web Of Science research areas: Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences; Water Resources
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology