An Epidemiological Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in the Sewage System of a Higher Education Institution

Background: The World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2023, three years after the adoption of global emergency measures. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage underscores its importance due to its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, highlighting the need to priori...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of global health 2024-08, Vol.90 (1), p.50
Main Authors: Silva, Carmem Cícera Maria da, Santos, Carolina Rangel de Lima, Céleri, Eliomar Pivante, Salles, David, Fardin, Julia Miranda, Pussi, Kamily Fagundes, Gomes, Daniel Claudio de Oliveira, Ribeiro, Vinicius de Oliveira, Konrad-Moraes, Leila Cristina, Neitzke-Abreu, Herintha Coeto, Júnior, Valdemar Lacerda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cost effectiveness
COVID-19
Disease transmission
Education
Epidemiology
Genomes
Health sciences
Higher education
Higher education institutions
Impurities
Original Research
Pandemics
Population studies
RNA probes
Sanitation
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Sewage
Sewer systems
Viral diseases
Water resources
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: The World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2023, three years after the adoption of global emergency measures. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage underscores its importance due to its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, highlighting the need to prioritize research on water resources and sanitation.Objectives: The aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in the sewage system of a higher education institution located in Vitória Espírito Santo State, Maruípe campus.Methods: Over a period of 66 days, from February 6 to April 12, 2023, 15 samples were collected. Each sample consisted of 1 L, collected in 1 hour, with 250 mL collected every 15 minutes. The samples were characterized by assessing their appearance, and pH was measured using a Horiba U-50 multiparameter probe. The extracted RNA was subjected to RT-qPCR using the Allplex™ 2019-nCovAssay Seegene kit.Results: The samples exhibited a cloudy appearance with impurities, and the pH ranged from 6.35 to 8.17. Among the evaluated samples, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in two, and, by comparing this with the epidemiological bulletin issued by the State Health Department, an increase in cases in the state was observed during the collection period of these samples.Conclusions: Sewage monitoring proved to be an important tool in this post-pandemic period, serving as an alert and prevention mechanism for the population in relation to new outbreaks. Furthermore, it represents a low-cost mapping strategy and extensive testing of a population, aligning with the studies presented at the beginning of the pandemic. We recommend specific adjustments considering distinct populations.
ISSN:2214-9996
2214-9996
DOI:10.5334/aogh.4413