Implementing Building-Level SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance on a University Campus

Gibas, Cynthia; Lambirth, Kevin; Mittal, Neha; Juel, Ariful Islam; Brazell, Lauren Roppolo; Hinton, Keshawn; Lontai, Jordan; Stark, Nicholas; Young, Isaiah; Quach, Cristine; Russ, Morgan; Kauer, Jacob; Nicolosi, Bridgette; Akella, Srinivas; Tang, Wenwu; Chen, Don; Schlueter, Jessica A.; Munir, Mariya

doi:10.1101/2020.12.31.20248843

Cited by 37 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Wastewater surveillance has also been used in combination with clinical data to infer average population-level viral shedding dynamics (Schmitz et al, 2021;Wu et al, 2020a). Wastewater surveillance has been mostly implemented at municipal wastewater treatment plants, but as colleges and universities reopened, it has also been applied in dormitories as an early warning system to prevent large-scale outbreaks of COVID-19 (Betancourt et al, 2020;Gibas et al, 2021;Harris-Lovett et al, 2021;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metrics to relate COVID-19 wastewater data to clinical testing dynamics

Xiao

Bushman

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a useful tool in the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While wastewater surveillance has been applied at various scales to monitor population-level COVID-19 dynamics, there is a need for quantitative metrics to interpret wastewater data in the context of public health trends. We collected 24-hour composite wastewater samples from March 2020 through May 2021 from a Massachusetts wastewater treatment plant and measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations using RT-qPCR. We show that the relationship between wastewater viral titers and COVID-19 clinical cases and deaths varies over time. We demonstrate the utility of three new metrics to monitor changes in COVID-19 epidemiology: (1) the ratio between wastewater viral titers and clinical cases (WC ratio), (2) the time lag between wastewater and clinical reporting, and (3) a transfer function between the wastewater and clinical case curves. We find that the WC ratio increases after key events, providing insight into the balance between disease spread and public health response. We also find that wastewater data preceded clinically reported cases in the first wave of the pandemic but did not serve as a leading indicator in the second wave, likely due to increased testing capacity. These three metrics could complement a framework for integrating wastewater surveillance into the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metrics to relate COVID-19 wastewater data to clinical testing dynamics

Xiao

Bushman

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…Ultimately, wastewater and other environmental monitoring may allow for more resourceintensive individual screening to be prioritized, a strategy that has been successfully pursued in university housing 22,23 and nursing home 24 settings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pilot program for test-based SARS-CoV-2 screening and environmental monitoring in an urban public school district

Crowe

Schnaubelt

Schmidt-Bonne

et al. 2021

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Importance. Scalable programs for school-based SARS-CoV-2 testing and surveillance are needed to guide in-person learning practices and inform risk assessments in K-12 settings. Objectives. To characterize SARS-CoV-2 infections in staff and students in an urban public school setting and evaluate test-based strategies to support ongoing risk assessment and mitigation for K-12 in-person learning. Design, Setting, and Participants. The pilot program engaged three schools for weekly saliva PCR testing of staff and students participating in in-person learning over a 5-week period. Wastewater, air, and surface samples were collected weekly and tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA to determine surrogacy for case detection and interrogate transmission risk of in-building activities. Main Outcomes and Measures. SARS-CoV-2 detection in saliva and environmental samples and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results. 2,885 supervised self-collected saliva samples were tested from 773 asymptomatic staff and students during November and December, 2020. 46 cases (22 students, 24 staff) were detected, representing a 5.8- and 2.5-fold increase in case detection rates among students and staff, respectively, compared to conventional reporting mechanisms. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in wastewater samples from all pilot schools, as well as in air samples collected from two choir rooms. Sequencing of 21 viral genomes in saliva specimens demonstrated minimal clustering associated with one school. Geographic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 cases reported district-wide demonstrated higher community risk in zip codes proximal to the pilot schools. Conclusions and Relevance. Weekly screening of asymptomatic staff and students by saliva PCR testing dramatically increased SARS-CoV-2 case detection in an urban public-school setting, exceeding infection rates reported at the county level. Experiences differed among schools, and virus sequencing and geographic analyses suggest a dynamic interplay of school-based and community-derived transmission risk. Environmental testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air and surface samples enabled real-time risk assessment of in-school activities and allowed for interventions in choir classes. Wastewater testing demonstrated the utility of school building-level SARS-CoV-2 surveillance. Collectively, these findings provide insight into the performance and community value of test-based SARS-CoV-2 screening and surveillance strategies in the K-12 educational setting.

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“…In conjunction with the COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance being conducted on the UNC Charlotte campus (Gibas et al, 2021), we collected samples from thirty-seven sites that were used to monitor a combination of dormitories, greek village housing and neighborhood sites consisting of on-campus non-residential buildings. Wastewater samples were collected thrice weekly via HACH AS960 and ISCO GLS Compact autosampler devices which were located at a building plumbing cleanout or at a manhole accessed externally.…”

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance evaluation of virus concentration methods for implementing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater based epidemiology emphasizing quick data turnaround

Juel

Stark

Nicolosi

et al. 2021

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Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) has drawn significant attention as an early warning tool to detect and predict the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in a community, in conjunction with public health data. This means of monitoring for outbreaks has been used at municipal wastewater treatment centers to analyze COVID-19 trends in entire communities, as well as by universities and other community living environments to monitor COVID-19 spread in buildings. Sample concentration is crucial, especially when viral abundance in raw wastewater is below the threshold of detection by RT-qPCR analysis. We evaluated the performance of a rapid ultrafiltration-based virus concentration method using InnovaPrep Cp Select pipette tips and compared this to the established electronegative membrane filtration (EMF) method. We evaluated the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 quantification, surrogate virus recovery rate, and sample processing time. Results suggest that the Cp Select concentrator is more efficient at concentrating SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater compared to the EMF method. 30% of samples that tested negative when concentrated with the EMF method produced a positive signal with the Cp Select protocol. Increased recovery of the surrogate virus control using the Cp Select confirms this observation. We optimized the Cp Select protocol by adding AVL lysis buffer and sonication, to increase the recovery of virus. Sonication increased BCoV recovery by 19%, which seems to compensate for viral loss during centrifugation. Filtration time decreases by approximately 30% when using the Cp Select protocol, making this an optimal choice for building surveillance applications where a quick turnaround time is necessary.

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Implementing Building-Level SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance on a University Campus

Cited by 37 publications

References 41 publications

Metrics to relate COVID-19 wastewater data to clinical testing dynamics

Metrics to relate COVID-19 wastewater data to clinical testing dynamics

Pilot program for test-based SARS-CoV-2 screening and environmental monitoring in an urban public school district

Performance evaluation of virus concentration methods for implementing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater based epidemiology emphasizing quick data turnaround

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