Safer at school early alert: an observational study of wastewater and surface monitoring to detect COVID-19 in elementary schools.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Schools are high-risk settings for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but necessary for children's educational and social-emotional wellbeing. Previous research suggests that wastewater monitoring can detect SARS-CoV-2 infections in controlled residential settings with high levels of accuracy. However, its effective accuracy, cost, and feasibility in non-residential community settings is unknown.

Methods

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and accuracy of community-based passive wastewater and surface (environmental) surveillance to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection in neighborhood schools compared to weekly diagnostic (PCR) testing. We implemented an environmental surveillance system in nine elementary schools with 1700 regularly present staff and stud

SUBMITTER: Fielding-Miller R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9939935 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature