tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Viruses
. 2023 Jan 5;15(1):162.
doi: 10.3390/v15010162.
Using Wastewater Surveillance to Compare COVID-19 Outbreaks during the Easter Holidays over a 2-Year Period in Cape Town, South Africa
Nomfundo Mahlangeni[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Renée Street[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Suranie Horn[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Angela Mathee[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Noluxabiso Mangwana[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Stephanie Dias[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Jyoti Rajan Sharma[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Pritika Ramharack[SUP] 4 6 [/SUP], Johan Louw[SUP] 4 7 [/SUP], Tarylee Reddy[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Swastika Surujlal-Naicker[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Sizwe Nkambule[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Candice Webster[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mongezi Mdhluli[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Glenda Gray[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Christo Muller[SUP] 4 5 12 [/SUP], Rabia Johnson[SUP] 4 12 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown to be an important approach to determine early outbreaks of infections. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is regarded as a complementary tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 trends in communities. In this study, the changes in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater during Easter holidays in 2021 and 2022 in the City of Cape Town were monitored over nine weeks. Our findings showed a statistically significant difference in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral load between the study weeks over the Easter period in 2021 and 2022, except for study week 1 and 4. During the Easter week, 52% of the wastewater treatment plants moved from the lower (low viral RNA) category in 2021 to the higher (medium to very high viral RNA) categories in 2022. As a result, the median SARS-CoV-2 viral loads where higher during the Easter week in 2022 than Easter week in 2021 (p = 0.0052). Mixed-effects model showed an association between the SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral loads and Easter week over the Easter period in 2021 only (p < 0.01). The study highlights the potential of WBE to track outbreaks during the holiday period.
Keywords: Easter holidays; SARS-CoV-2; wastewater surveillance; wastewater treatment plants.
. 2023 Jan 5;15(1):162.
doi: 10.3390/v15010162.
Using Wastewater Surveillance to Compare COVID-19 Outbreaks during the Easter Holidays over a 2-Year Period in Cape Town, South Africa
Nomfundo Mahlangeni[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Renée Street[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Suranie Horn[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Angela Mathee[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Noluxabiso Mangwana[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Stephanie Dias[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Jyoti Rajan Sharma[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Pritika Ramharack[SUP] 4 6 [/SUP], Johan Louw[SUP] 4 7 [/SUP], Tarylee Reddy[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Swastika Surujlal-Naicker[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Sizwe Nkambule[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Candice Webster[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mongezi Mdhluli[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Glenda Gray[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Christo Muller[SUP] 4 5 12 [/SUP], Rabia Johnson[SUP] 4 12 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36680203
- DOI: 10.3390/v15010162
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown to be an important approach to determine early outbreaks of infections. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is regarded as a complementary tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 trends in communities. In this study, the changes in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater during Easter holidays in 2021 and 2022 in the City of Cape Town were monitored over nine weeks. Our findings showed a statistically significant difference in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral load between the study weeks over the Easter period in 2021 and 2022, except for study week 1 and 4. During the Easter week, 52% of the wastewater treatment plants moved from the lower (low viral RNA) category in 2021 to the higher (medium to very high viral RNA) categories in 2022. As a result, the median SARS-CoV-2 viral loads where higher during the Easter week in 2022 than Easter week in 2021 (p = 0.0052). Mixed-effects model showed an association between the SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral loads and Easter week over the Easter period in 2021 only (p < 0.01). The study highlights the potential of WBE to track outbreaks during the holiday period.
Keywords: Easter holidays; SARS-CoV-2; wastewater surveillance; wastewater treatment plants.