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Survival of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.

Authors :: Sherchan S
Thakali O
Ikner LA
Gerba CP
Source :: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2023 Jul 15; Vol. 882, pp. 163049. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 27.
Publication Year :: 2023
Abstract: The ongoing pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected >600 million people with >6 million deaths. Although Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent of COVID-19, is transmitted via respiratory droplets or direct contact, isolation of viable SARS-CoV-2 in feces has been reported. Therefore, there is a need for understanding the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants in wastewater. In this study, the survival of SARS-CoV-2 isolate hCoV-19/USA-WA1/2020 was observed in three wastewater matrices - filtered and unfiltered raw wastewater, and secondary effluent. All experiments were conducted within a BSL-3 laboratory at room temperature. The time required for inactivation of 90 % (T <subscript>90</subscript> ) of SARS-CoV-2 was 10.4, 10.8, and 18.3 h for unfiltered raw, filtered raw, and secondary effluent, respectively. Progressive decline in infectivity of the virus following first order kinetics was noted in these wastewater matrices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in secondary effluent.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.<br /> (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)