Stabilization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater via rapid RNA extraction.
Sci Total Environ
; 878: 162992, 2023 Jun 20.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2284336
ABSTRACT
Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE) has contributed to surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in communities across the world. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 can shed the virus through the gastrointestinal tract, enabling the quantification of the virus in stool and ultimately in wastewater (WW). Unfortunately, instability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater limits the utility of WBE programs, particularly in remote/rural regions where reliable cold storage and/or rapid shipping may be unavailable. This study examined whether rapid SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction on the day of sample collection could minimize degradation. Importantly, the extraction technology used in these experiments, termed exclusion-based sample preparation (ESP), is lightweight, portable, and electricity-free, making it suitable for implementation in remote settings. We demonstrated that immediate RNA extraction followed by ambient storage significantly increased the RNA half-life compared to raw wastewater samples stored at both 4 °C or ambient temperature. Given that RNA degradation negatively impacts both the sensitivity and precision of WBE measurements, efforts must be made to mitigate degradation in order to maximize the potential impact of WBE on public health.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Sci Total Environ
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.scitotenv.2023.162992
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