We used wastewater surveillance to identify 2 coronavirus disease outbreaks at a college in Maine, USA. Cumulative increases of >1 log
10
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in consecutive 24-hour composite samples preceded the outbreaks. For 76% of cases, RNA was identified in grab samples from residence halls
<
7 days before case discovery.
Wastewater surveillance offers a rapid evaluation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in a community. We describe how a community group, the Yarmouth Wastewater Testing Team (YWTT), in Yarmouth, Maine (population 8,990) utilized an asset-based community design framework to organize and manage a program to monitor SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations. From September 22, 2020, to June 8, 2021, the YWTT disseminated weekly reports of the wastewater results and reported coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases within the Yarmouth postal code. After high and increasing SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations, the YWTT issued two community advisories to encourage extra care to reduce exposure. Correlations between SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations and COVID-19 cases were stronger the week after sampling, and the average of the COVID-19 cases during the week of sampling and the following week, indicating that surveillance provides advance notice of cases. A 10% increase in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations was associated with a 13.29% increase in the average number of weekly reported cases of COVID-19 during the week of sampling and the following week (R2 = 0.418; p < 0.001). Adjusting for viral recovery (December 21, 2020 to June 8, 2021) improved R2 from 0.598 to 0.679. Wastewater surveillance was an effective tool for the YWTT to quickly respond to viral transmission.
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