Smart toilets for monitoring COVID-19 surges: passive diagnostics and public health

Continued COVID-19 surges have highlighted the need for widespread testing in addition to vaccination for disease containment. SARS-COV-2 RNA can be found in faecal matter, making human stool another potential source for COVID-19 diagnostics. In this commentary, we highlight potential strategies to use a smart toilet platform to passively monitor COVID-19 surges, enabling earlier detection of infected individuals and promoting public health.