A new study from UC San Diego demonstrates that wastewater surveillance can detect Covid-19 in a single infected, asymptomatic person living or working in a multi-unit dwelling such as a university campus building.
When the researchers receive the samples they process the sewage using a different kind of robot, one that concentrates the virus using magnetic nanoparticles, and extracts RNA—the genetic material that makes up the genomes of viruses like SARS-CoV-2—from the samples. Polymerase chain reaction testing is used to detect the virus' signature genes. If the sequencing reveals all three viral genes tested, the sample is considered to be positive.
deployed autosamplers across the campus residences. Snapshot of one of the residence clusters showing the locations of 27 samplers covering one of the zones with the highest occupancy on campus. All autosamplers have unique IDs which have been prelinked to the corresponding manholes on the GIS server. Timeline of the daily wastewater sampling and analysis.Study co-author Smruthi Karthikeyan, Ph.D.
“University campuses especially benefit from wastewater surveillance as a means to avert COVID-19 outbreaks, as they're full of largely asymptomatic populations, and are potential hot spots for transmission that necessitate frequent diagnostic testing,"The system is part of the University’sprogram, which aims to allow for safe in-person teaching and research.
Wastewater surveillance is not a new concept. Wastewater testing provided an early warning for outbreaks of hepatitis A and norovirus in
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