SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system

Coronavirus disease has emerged as one of the greatest threats to human well-being. Currently, the whole world is fighting against this pandemic that is transmitted either through exposure to virus laden respiratory or water droplets or by touching the virus contaminated surfaces. The viral load in...

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Main Authors: Deepak Panchal, Purusottam Tripathy, Om Prakash, Abhishek Sharma, Sukdeb Pal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IWA Publishing 2021-07-01
Series:Water Science and Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://wst.iwaponline.com/content/84/1/1
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author Deepak Panchal
Purusottam Tripathy
Om Prakash
Abhishek Sharma
Sukdeb Pal
author_facet Deepak Panchal
Purusottam Tripathy
Om Prakash
Abhishek Sharma
Sukdeb Pal
author_sort Deepak Panchal
collection DOAJ
description Coronavirus disease has emerged as one of the greatest threats to human well-being. Currently, the whole world is fighting against this pandemic that is transmitted either through exposure to virus laden respiratory or water droplets or by touching the virus contaminated surfaces. The viral load in feces of an infected patient varies according to the severity of the disease. Subsequent detection of viral genome (SARS-CoV-2) in human feces and sewage systems is an emerging concern for public health. This also dictates to reinforce the existing sewage/wastewater treatment facilities. Rapid monitoring is the key to prevent and control the current mass transmission. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a potential epidemiology tool that can act as a complementary approach for current infectious disease surveillance systems and an early warning system for disease outbreaks. In a developing country like India, inadequate wastewater treatment systems, low-operational facility and relaxed surface water quality criteria even in terms of fecal coliform bacteria are the major challenges for WBE. Herein, we review the occurrence, transmission, and survival of SARS-CoV-2, and disinfection and potential of sewage surveillance as an early warning system for COVID-19 spread. We also discuss the challenges of open-defecation practices affecting sewage-surveillance in real-time in densely populated developing countries like India. HIGHLIGHTS Fate of SARS-CoV-2 in water environment is discussed.; Trend and reinfection in community can also be revealed by sewage-based epidemiology.; Sewage surveillance can serve as an early warning system.; Robust sampling strategies with subsequent rapid detection methods are crucial.; Open-defecation activities make the available WWTPs less representative and hamper the real-time sewage monitoring.;
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spelling doaj.art-7ac1071e28d44218b82b35348964fb0f2022-12-21T19:19:01ZengIWA PublishingWater Science and Technology0273-12231996-97322021-07-0184111510.2166/wst.2021.146146SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning systemDeepak Panchal0Purusottam Tripathy1Om Prakash2Abhishek Sharma3Sukdeb Pal4 Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur 440020, India Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur 440020, India Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur 440020, India Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur 440020, India Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur 440020, India Coronavirus disease has emerged as one of the greatest threats to human well-being. Currently, the whole world is fighting against this pandemic that is transmitted either through exposure to virus laden respiratory or water droplets or by touching the virus contaminated surfaces. The viral load in feces of an infected patient varies according to the severity of the disease. Subsequent detection of viral genome (SARS-CoV-2) in human feces and sewage systems is an emerging concern for public health. This also dictates to reinforce the existing sewage/wastewater treatment facilities. Rapid monitoring is the key to prevent and control the current mass transmission. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a potential epidemiology tool that can act as a complementary approach for current infectious disease surveillance systems and an early warning system for disease outbreaks. In a developing country like India, inadequate wastewater treatment systems, low-operational facility and relaxed surface water quality criteria even in terms of fecal coliform bacteria are the major challenges for WBE. Herein, we review the occurrence, transmission, and survival of SARS-CoV-2, and disinfection and potential of sewage surveillance as an early warning system for COVID-19 spread. We also discuss the challenges of open-defecation practices affecting sewage-surveillance in real-time in densely populated developing countries like India. HIGHLIGHTS Fate of SARS-CoV-2 in water environment is discussed.; Trend and reinfection in community can also be revealed by sewage-based epidemiology.; Sewage surveillance can serve as an early warning system.; Robust sampling strategies with subsequent rapid detection methods are crucial.; Open-defecation activities make the available WWTPs less representative and hamper the real-time sewage monitoring.;http://wst.iwaponline.com/content/84/1/1open defecationsars-cov-2sewage surveillancewastewater-based epidemiology
spellingShingle Deepak Panchal
Purusottam Tripathy
Om Prakash
Abhishek Sharma
Sukdeb Pal
SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
Water Science and Technology
open defecation
sars-cov-2
sewage surveillance
wastewater-based epidemiology
title SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
title_full SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
title_fullStr SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
title_full_unstemmed SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
title_short SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
title_sort sars cov 2 fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system
topic open defecation
sars-cov-2
sewage surveillance
wastewater-based epidemiology
url http://wst.iwaponline.com/content/84/1/1
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AT omprakash sarscov2fateinwaterenvironmentsandsewagesurveillanceasanearlywarningsystem
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