Novel Wastewater Surveillance Strategy for Early Detection of COVID – 19 Hotspots

Venugopal, Anila; Ganesan, Harsha; Sudalaimuthu Raja, Suresh Selvapuram; Govindasamy, Vivekanandhan; Arunachalam, Manimekalan; Narayanasamy, Arul; Sivaprakash, Palanisamy; Rahman, Pattanathu K.S.M.; Gopalakrishnan, Abilash Valsala; Siama, Zothan; Vellingiri, Balachandar

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID -19), a pandemic of global concern, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has severely revealed the need for public monitoring and efficient screening techniques. In spite of the various advancements made in the medical and research field, containment of this virus has proven to be difficult on several levels. As such, it is a necessary requirement to identify possible hotspots in the early stages of any disease. Based on previous studies carried out on coronaviruses, there is a high likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 may also survive in wastewater. Hence, we propose the use of nanofiber filters as a wastewater pre-treatment routine and up-gradation of existing wastewater evaluation and treatment system, to serve as a beneficial surveillance tool.