biostudies-literatureFielding-Miller RNCATS NIH HHSNICHD NIH HHSNIMH NIH HHSNIMHD NIH HHSNIH HHS100449https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9939935biostudies-literatureUnknown19<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methods</h4>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 studLancet regional health. AmericasSafer at school early alert: an observational study of wastewater and surface monitoring to detect COVID-19 in elementary schools.PMC9939935L70 MD011114U01 HD108787UL1 TR001442S10 OD026929K01 MH112436Nasamran CADe Hoff PMark AMHumphrey GYoung CHenson BSathe SLawrence ESTweeten SRosing TEno JBirmingham ARosenthal SBKhaleghi BBarber TChacon MGangavarapu KLastrella ALGaines TXia BKang JEilert STubb HMTsai RHassani ACurewitz KFielding-Miller RValles TBaer NAGarfein RSSEARCHMajnoonian AGonzalez-Zuniga PCastro-Martinez ALe TWynn AWijaya CVo AVFlores MOmaleki VMartin NKBelda-Ferre PJepsen KKarthikeyan SZeller MYeo GWMoshiri NFranco Vargas LSeaver PCheung WNgo TTAigner SMorris JSalido RACrescini ESKurzban EDuong DHakim AFisch KMNguyen MFarmer SKnight RHobbs CEisner ERAndersen KGMatteson NLLaurent LCAnderson CCantu VJSmoot EWKohn LAkel ADfalseSafer at school early alert: an observational study of wastewater and surface monitoring to detect COVID-19 in elementary schools.<h4>Background</h4>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.<h4>Methods</h4>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 stud2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Mar2026-04-30T12:35:07.998Z2025-02-19T02:23:59.801ZS-EPMC99399353684461010.1016/j.lana.2023.100449