Will the extraction of COVID-19 from wastewater help flatten the curve?

Abstract

With the potentially fatal effect of COVID-19 and its devastating impact on economies worldwide, some environmental scientist has suggested the use of waste from household sewage to trace the movement of SARS-CoV-2, within a given country. However, this approach is not without challenges where developing countries lack proper and adequate hygiene and sanitation, resulting in widespread defecation. Limited scientific research has been done to determine how many times a recently infected person can defecate and the quantification of SARS-CoV-2 found in a single expel. On the other hand, there is no detailed research to specify where the heavy viral load of SARS-CoV-2 can be found in human excreta. In this paper, we present some obstacles that this approach could face in the absence of an intense lockdown in developing nations such as sub-Saharan countries. To achieve this, we identify some research needs that will strengthen our understanding of the transmission, occurrence, and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage and wastewater, including the life-span that depends on temperature. A methodology to follow in the process of identifying a hotspot on a small scale using some mathematical distributions, including the normal distribution, log-normal distribution, and the most complex one known as Blancmange function, was presented with some examples. Our investigation showed that this method might have some challenges, especially in developing countries (sub-Sahara countries) where open latrine usage is very high. Some recommendations we suggested to ensure the efficiency of such a method on a small scale. However, in general, it is essential to note the extraction/detection method will not help more than the testing method used all over the world to trace SARS-CoV-2 -19 in humans.

Keywords: And disadvantages; Challenges; Coronavirus; Extraction method; Feces; SARS-CoV-2; Sewage; Wastewater treatment.