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Copahue Thermal Center is characterized by the presence of mineromedicinal acidic waters with high temperatures, therapeutic peloids, and relevant consortia of extremophiles species, distributed in small natural pools which cannot be disinfected. The objective of this research was to investigate the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in Copahue’s waters and its remaining infective capacity. In a first assay, a decrease of more than 50% of the initially viral load compared to the initially inoculated positive sample was detected for all the water samples analyzed. After that, two of the Copahue springs, which are used as an immersion bath in closed environments without going through any disinfection treatment, was selected to determine the viral viability. VERO cell infections were performed, with no cytopathic effect detected, but a strikingly high resistance of the virus, detecting its genome by real time PCR, during the seven days of study under laboratory conditions. SARS-CoV-2 survival in acid media was reaffirmed, which is a peculiarity for a covered virus. A decrease in the detectable viral load of the positive sample was found as the infection time passed, becoming completely negative in the subsequent blind passages. More research is needed to further study the feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 in mineromedicinal waters, especially natural acidic waters that cannot disinfected, in order to expand information about the risk to populations that are exposed to them. Fil: Vela, María Lorena. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y del Ambiente; Argentina. Fil: Vela, María Lorena. Organización Térmica Provincial de Neuquén. E.Pro.Te.N.; Argentina. Fil: Masachessi, Gisela. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina. Fil: Masachessi, Gisela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Giaveno, María Alejandra. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Fil: Giaveno, María Alejandra. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Roca Jalil, Maria Eugenia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Fil: Roca Jalil, Maria Eugenia. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Castro, Gonzalo. Ministerio de Salud de la Provincia de Córdoba. Departamento de Laboratorio Central; Argentina. Fil: Cachi, Ariana Mariela. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Aeronáutica y Espacial; Argentina. Fil: Cachi, Ariana Mariela. Universidad de la Defensa Nacional. Facultad de la Fuerza Aérea; Argentina. Fil: Marinzalda, María de los Ángeles. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Aeronáutica y Espacial; Argentina. Fil: Marinzalda, María de los Ángeles. Universidad de la Defensa Nacional. Facultad de la Fuerza Aérea; Argentina. Fil: Zugarramurdi, Ana. Organización Térmica Provincial de Neuquén E.Pro.Te.N; Argentina. Fil: Baschini, Miria. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Fil: Baschini, Miria. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.

Monitoring wastewater for the traces of viruses allows effective surveillance of entire communities, including symptomatic and asymptomatic infected individuals, providing information on whether a specific pathogen is circulating in a population. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 261 wastewater samples from six communities of the province of Córdoba, Argentina were analyzed. From mid-May 2020 to the end of August 2021, raw sewage samples were collected from the central network pipe that enters into the Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) in Córdoba city and five communities in the Punilla Valley. SARS-CoV-2 was concentrated by using the polyethylene glycol-6000 precipitation method. Viral genomes were extracted from concentrated samples, and N- and E-SARS-CoV-2 genes were detected by using real time RT-PCR. Wastewater samples that resulted positive for SARS-CoV-2 genome detection were subjected to viral variants of concern (VOCs) identification by real time RT-PCR. Overall, just by using the identification of the N gene or E gene, the rates of viral genome detection were 43.4% (86/198) and 51.5% (102/198) respectively, and by using both methodologies (positivity criterion: detection of N and / or E gene), the detection rate was 71.2% (141/198). Thereby, the optimal strategy to study the SARS-CoV-2 genome in wastewater would be the use of the combined detection of both genes. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater reflected their circulation in the community, showing no VOCs detection in the first COVID-19 wave and their co-circulation with Gamma, Alpha and Delta VOCs during 2021. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Based Epidemiology (WBE) described the introduction, permanence and/or the co-circulation of viral variants in the community. In geographical areas with a stable population, SARS-CoV-2 WBE could be used as an early warning sign of new COVID-19 cases, whereas in localities with a low number of inhabitants and high tourist influx, WBE may only be useful to reflect the circulation of the virus in the community. Overall, the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater can become a silent sentinel of the trend of viral circulation in the community, providing supplementary information for clinical surveillance to support public health measures.