Using Wastewater Surveillance for Detection of COVID-19 Virus

由于新冠肺炎是在感染者的粪便中排泄出来的，因此通过监测废水来了解城市中新冠肺炎病毒的传播程度的机会是巨大的。这项研究将制定必要和关键的协议，使社区能够从关于新冠肺炎病毒携带者的循证知识中获得重要的见解。例如，废水监测为了解社区内新冠肺炎携带者的程度提供了机会(例如，废水中新冠肺炎浓度的明显增加可能转化为新一波新冠肺炎疫情是否正在开始，或者如果新冠肺炎病例集中在所在城市的局部地区)，可靠的废水监测程序是真正了解是否正在发生病毒控制的关键。 除了基于聚合酶链式反应的SARS-CoV-2检测外，这项研究还将采用元基因组全基因组测序方法，为新冠肺炎监测提供有用的数据。从浓缩污水样本中提取RNA将通过一系列程序和技术进行。基于废水的流行病学策略包括首先通过逆转录酶将冠状病毒RNA转录成互补DNA(CDNA)，然后通过实时聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)扩增得到的DNA，以改进信号检测。将需要测序技术来确认废水样本中是否存在足够多的病毒，以作为指标。最终，其目的是为各级政府提供可靠的废水监测程序，以真正了解病毒是否正在得到控制。

Since COVID-19 is shed in the feces of infected people, the opportunity to use surveillance of wastewater to understand the extent of COVID-19 virus within cities is enormous. This research will develop the necessary and critical protocols needed to allow a community to gain important insights of evidence-based knowledge regarding carriers of the COVID-19 virus. For example, wastewater surveillance provides the opportunity to understand the extent of COVID-19 carriers within a community (e.g. increases in COVID-19 concentrations evident in the wastewater may be translatable into understanding whether a new wave of COVID-19 is beginning, or, if concentrations of COVID-19 cases are increasing in a localized area of their municipality) Reliable procedures for wastewater surveillance are key to really understanding whether control of the virus is occurring. In addition to PCR-based detection of SARS-CoV-2, this research will also employ a metagenomic whole genome sequencing approach to provide useful data for COVID-19 surveillance. RNA extractions from concentrated sewage samples will be conducted via a series of procedures and technologies. The wastewater-based epidemiology strategy involves first transcribing coronavirus RNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) by the reverse transcriptase enzyme, then amplifying the resultant DNA via real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to improve signal detection. Sequencing techniques will be needed to confirm viral presence in wastewater samples in sufficiently large numbers to be indicators. Ultimately, the intent is to provide governments at all levels, with reliable procedures for wastewater surveillance to really understand whether control of the virus is occurring.