Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Wastewater of Two Counties in Texas, United States

Laura M Langan; Megan O'Brien; Lea M Lovin; Kendall R Scarlett; Haley Davis; Abigail N Henke; Sarah E Seidel; Natalie Archer; Eric Lawrence; R Sean Norman; Heidi K Bojes; Bryan W Brooks

doi:10.1021/acsestwater.2c00103

Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Wastewater of Two Counties in Texas, United States

ACS ES T Water. 2022 Jul 6;2(11):2211-2224. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00103. eCollection 2022 Nov 11.

Authors

Laura M Langan^{1

2}, Megan O'Brien^{1

2

3}, Lea M Lovin^{1

2}, Kendall R Scarlett^{1

2}, Haley Davis^{1

2}, Abigail N Henke^{1

2

4}, Sarah E Seidel⁵, Natalie Archer⁶, Eric Lawrence⁶, R Sean Norman⁷, Heidi K Bojes⁶, Bryan W Brooks^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, Texas 76798, United States.
² Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97178, Waco, Texas 76798, United States.
³ Department of Public Health, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97343, Waco, Texas 76798, United States.
⁴ Department of Biology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97388, Waco, Texas 76798, United States.
⁵ Center for Health Statistics, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas 78756, United States.
⁶ Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries Section, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas 78756, United States.
⁷ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States.

PMID: 37552718
DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00103

Abstract

After its emergence in late November/December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread globally. Recognizing that this virus is shed in feces of individuals and that viral RNA is detectable in wastewater, testing for SARS-CoV-2 in sewage collections systems has allowed for the monitoring of a community's viral burden. Over a 9 month period, the influents of two regional wastewater treatment facilities were concurrently examined for wild-type SARS-CoV-2 along with variants B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2 incorporated as they emerged. Epidemiological data including new confirmed COVID-19 cases and associated hospitalizations and fatalities were tabulated within each location. RNA from SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in 100% of the wastewater samples, while variant detection was more variable. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) results align with clinical trends for COVID-19 cases, and increases in COVID-19 cases were positively related with increases in SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in wastewater, although the strength of this relationship was location specific. Our observations demonstrate that clinical and wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 wild type and constantly emerging variants of concern can be combined using RT-qPCR to characterize population infection dynamics. This may provide an early warning for at-risk communities and increases in COVID-19 related hospitalizations.