A Sensitive and Rapid Wastewater Test for SARS-COV-2 and Its Use for the Early Detection of a Cluster of Cases in a Remote Community
Jade Daigle, Kathleen Racher, Justin Hazenberg, Allan Yeoman, Heather Hannah, Diep Duong, Umar Mohammed, Dave Spreitzer, Branden S. J. Gregorchuk, Breanne M. Head, Adrienne F. A. Meyers, Paul A. Sandstrom, Anil Nichani, James I. Brooks, Michael R. Mulvey, Chand S. Mangat, Michael G. Becker
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance is a powerful tool that provides an unbiased measure of COVID-19 prevalence in a community. This work describes a sensitive wastewater rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 based on a widely distributed technology, the GeneXpert. The advantages of an easy-to-use wastewater test for SARS-CoV-2 are clear: it supports surveillance in remote communities, improves access to testing, and provides faster results allowing for an immediate public health response. The application of wastewater rapid testing in a remote community facilitated the detection of a COVID-19 cluster and triggered public health action, clearly demonstrating the utility of this technology. Wastewater surveillance will become increasingly important in the postvaccination pandemic landscape as individuals with asymptomatic/mild infections continue transmitting SARS-CoV-2 but are unlikely to be tested.