Zhan Qingyu, Solo-Gabriele Helena Maria, Sharkey Mark E, Amirali Ayaaz, Beaver Cynthia C, Boone Melinda M, Comerford Samuel, Cooper Daniel, Cortizas Elena M, Cosculluela Gabriella A, Currall Benjamin B, Grills George S, Kobetz Erin, Kumar Naresh, Laine Jennifer, Lamar Walter E, Lyu Jiangnan, Mason Christopher E, Reding Brian D, Roca Matthew A, Schürer Stephan C, Shukla Bhavarth S, Solle Natasha Schaefer, Suarez Maritza M, Stevenson Mario, Tallon John J, Thomas Collette, Vidović Dušica, Williams Sion L, Yin Xue, Zarnegarnia Yalda, Babler Kristina Marie
Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA.
Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA.
ACS ES T Water. 2023 Sep 8;3(9):2849-2862. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.3c00032. Epub 2023 Aug 22.
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been utilized to track community infections of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by detecting RNA of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), within samples collected from wastewater. The correlations between community infections and wastewater measurements of the RNA can potentially change as SARS-CoV-2 evolves into new variations by mutating. This study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and indicators of human waste in wastewater from two sewersheds of different scales (University of Miami (UM) campus and Miami-Dade County Central District wastewater treatment plant (CDWWTP)) during five internally defined COVID-19 variant dominant periods (Initial, Pre-Delta, Delta, Omicron and Post-Omicron wave). SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantities were compared against COVID-19 clinical cases and hospitalizations to evaluate correlations with wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Although correlations between documented clinical cases and hospitalizations were high, prevalence for a given wastewater SARS-CoV-2 level varied depending upon the variant analyzed. The correlative relationship was significantly steeper (more cases per level found in wastewater) for the Omicron-dominated period. For hospitalization, the relationships were steepest for the Initial wave, followed by the Delta wave with flatter slopes during all other waves. Overall results were interpreted in the context of SARS-CoV-2 virulence and vaccination rates among the community.
基于废水的流行病学（WBE）已被用于通过检测从废水中采集的样本中的严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的RNA来追踪2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的社区感染情况。随着SARS-CoV-2通过变异演变成新的变体，社区感染与废水中RNA测量值之间的相关性可能会发生变化。本研究分析了在五个内部定义的COVID-19变体主导时期（初始期、德尔塔变异株出现前期、德尔塔变异株时期、奥密克戎变异株时期和奥密克戎变异株浪潮后期），来自两个不同规模排水区域（迈阿密大学（UM）校园和迈阿密-戴德县中心区污水处理厂（CDWWTP））的废水中的SARS-CoV-2 RNA以及人类排泄物指标。将SARS-CoV-2 RNA数量与COVID-19临床病例和住院情况进行比较，以评估与废水SARS-CoV-2 RNA的相关性。尽管记录的临床病例和住院情况之间的相关性很高，但给定废水SARS-CoV-2水平的流行率因所分析的变体而异。在奥密克戎变异株主导时期，相关关系明显更陡峭（废水中每单位水平发现的病例更多）。对于住院情况，初始浪潮时期的关系最陡峭，其次是德尔塔变异株时期，在所有其他浪潮中斜率较平缓。总体结果在SARS-CoV-2毒力和社区疫苗接种率的背景下进行了解释。
