WASTEWATER-BASED EPIDEMIOLOGY AS A STRATEGY FOR COMMUNITY MONITORING, MAPPING OF HOTSPOTS AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS OF COVID-19

The ability to monitor the spread of diseases is essential for prevention, intervention and control practices. In this context, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been applied to empirically evaluate the exposure of populations to chemical substances and pathogens of emerging concern in near real time. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, WBE remains an innovative epidemiological tool, with the potential to complement infectious disease surveillance systems. Recent studies on WBE and COVID-19 are based on the monitoring of viral RNA fragments as target biomarkers for SARS-CoV-2 via RT-qPCR and allied techniques. Literature results have been shown the potential of WBE as an innovative tool to monitor viral spread in large communities, map contagion curves and hotspots, identify the contribution of asymptomatic individuals, and subsidize early warning systems for disease outbreaks. WBE can offer less expensive responses for monitoring large populations compared to individual clinical tests which are not feasible on large scales. This aspect is important in terms of health surveillance and associated public policies, notably where clinical tests are scarce or underestimated and in less developed regions with inadequate sanitation conditions.