COVID-19 Surveillance Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

Abstract

COVID-19 outbrake caused by the new type of Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first reported in Wuhan, China on December 12, 2019, and then spread all over the world and became a global pandemic. Nearly 43 million case and more than one million deaths around the world
have been confirmed by 26 October 2020. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, numerous social distancing and quarantine practices have been implemented worldwide to combat the outbreak. When implementing such measures, it is critical to accurately determine the magnitude of the outbreak. Wastewater-based epidemiology is one of the epidemic monitoring methods recommended by the World Health Organization. While it is known that testing individuals for SARS-CoV-2 can lead to false negative results and misleading cases, and moreover, considering that it is not possible to test each individual, monitoring wastewater has the potential to reveal the true picture
of the extent of the epidemic. In this study, the wastewater-based epidemiology method was discussed to be used as an auxiliary tool in determining the magnitude of the COVID-19 outbreak and controlling the epidemic; The current situation, limitations and future suggestions have been put forward. In addition, studies for determining the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, environmental permanence and treatment were also evaluated.