RE: Another good insight6 May 2020 16:28
From the Lancet 1 April
Since the first publications reporting the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in faeces,1 it became clear that human wastewater might contain the novel coronavirus. From Feb 17, 2020, onwards, we took 24-h 10 L samples once a week from human wastewater collected at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands) for virus analyses. Samples tested positive for virus RNA by quantitative RT-PCR methodology 4 days after the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were identified in the Netherlands on Feb 27, 2020 (unpublished data). This could be explained by virus excretion from potentially symptomatic, asymptomatic, or presymptomatic individuals passing through the airport. Furthermore, human wastewater sampled near the first Dutch cases in Tilburg, Netherlands, also tested positive for the presence of viral RNA within a week of the first day of disease onset (unpublished data).2 These findings indicate that wastewater could be a sensitive surveillance system and early warning tool, as was previously shown for poliovirus.3 To our knowledge, this detection in the Netherlands is the first report of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.
Whether SARS-CoV-2 is viable under environmental conditions that could facilitate faecal–oral transmission is not yet clear. However, evidence exists of potential community spread, with the virus spreading easily and sustainably in the community in some affected geographic areas such as China.4 A case has also been reported in the USA in which the individual had not been exposed to anyone known to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and had not travelled to countries in which the virus is circulating.5 Potential enteric transmission also has implications for those working with human waste and wastewater, for whom WHO guidance has been developed specifically in relation to COVID-19. Overall, the provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions can offer protection from any infectious disease, including COVID-19.