Investigation of Coronaviruses (COVID 19) in Water and Wastewater

Maryam Sadat  Mirbagheri Firoozabad; Kiarash  Sadeghian Esfahani

doi:10.18502/ssu.v29i12.8970

Maryam Sadat Mirbagheri Firoozabad Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
Kiarash Sadeghian Esfahani Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ssu.v29i12.8970

Keywords: Water, Wastewater, Detection, Coronavirus, COVID 19

Abstract

Introduction: Water can be a carrier environment for pathogens or provide the conditions for the spread of a disease or various infectious cases. Covid-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 12 March 2020. The main routes of transmission of the virus are through drapelet and individual transmission, although recent research confirms the presence of viral RNA in wastewater and thus, further studies on wastewater as a possible source of virus transmission are needed to understand the epidemiology of the virus and methods for its diagnosis and quantification. The presence of the sewage virus could be a warning sign for the re-emergence of Covid 19 in cities. Isolation of sewage wells and in general, care for the entry of water containing virus into water sources will play an important role in controlling the virus. This article reviewed recent articles on the possibility of the presence and transmission of viruses, especially coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2), through wastewater, as well as the various methods available for extracting viral RNA and identifying it in wastewater samples. A variety of methods for concentrating viral samples has also been examined to find the best method used to concentrate Covid 19.

Conclusion: Detection of virus in sewage, even if the prevalence of Covid 19 is low, it indicates that sewage monitoring can be a way to monitor the circulation of the virus in the community.