Short Communication
SARS-CoV-2 variant detection at a university dormitory using wastewater genomic tools

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149930Get rights and content

Highlights

  • SARS-CoV-2 sequencing of dormitory wastewater grab samples identifies viral variants.

  • 1.1 × 106 gene copies/L in wastewater sufficient for WGS

  • Viral shedding from 3 infected students suggests circulation of 2 cluster strains.

  • WGS paired with WBE can help address declining testing challenges.

Abstract

In the Fall of 2020, university campuses in the United States resumed on-campus instruction and implemented wastewater monitoring for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests were deployed successfully to detect viral RNA in wastewater across campuses, the feasibility of detecting viral variants from a residential building like a dormitory was unclear. Here, we demonstrate that wastewater surveillance from a dormitory with at least three infected students could lead to the identification of viral genomes with more than 95% coverage. Our results indicate that viral variant detection from wastewater is achievable at a dormitory and that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wastewater surveillance programs will benefit from the implementation of viral whole genome sequencing at universities.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Virus
Wastewater
Sewage
Mutation
Variant

Cited by (0)

1

These first authors contributed equally to this article.

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