Predicting COVID-19 cases using SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air, surface swab and wastewater samples.

ABSTRACT: Genomic footprints of pathogens shed by infected individuals can be traced in environmental samples, which can serve as a noninvasive method of infectious disease surveillance. The research evaluates the efficacy of environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air, surface swabs and wastewater to predict COVID-19 cases. Using a prospective experimental design, air, surface swabs, and wastewater samples were collected from a college dormitory housing roughly 500 students from March to May 2021 at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL. Students were randomly screened for COVID-19 during the study period. SARS-CoV-2 concentration in environmental samples was quantified using Volcano 2nd Generation-qPCR. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine the associations between time-lagged S

SUBMITTER: Solo-Gabriele HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9529341 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature