A national surveillance for SARS-Cov-2 in sewage: genesis to revelations
Stage in GSE Lifecyle
Primary stage : Implement cross-government (x-HMG)
Related stage(s) : Create | Define/Design | Evaluate
Morbidity and mortality from the SARS-Cov-2 (Covid-19) virus is due to its effects on the respiratory system of patients. However, the virus is also present in the gut of many of those infected. As a result, viral RNA is also present in domestic wastewater at sewage treatment works.
In April 2020 the Joint Biosecurity Centre (now the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)), Environment Agency and Defra developed a surveillance system for SARS-Cov-2 RNA. Sampling began in July 2020 at 44 sewage works across England, covering around a third of the population. The programme is now one of the largest in the world, analysing 2800 samples a week from 450 sites in a dedicated new laboratory. The work relies on the Water Companies to take samples and Environment Agency staff to transport and analyse them with UKHSA and partners at Bangor University.
Wastewater testing offers a different perspective on the course of infections such as SARS-Cov-2:
- The potential for early detection of infections before clinical cases manifest or from otherwise asymptomatic cases
- Insight into the course of the disease in populations where access to, or uptake of, clinical testing and healthcare is limited
- Monitoring of large populations at much lower cost than testing individuals
An areal photo of a water treatment plant.
Team
Chief Scientists Group
Department(s)
Environment Agency
Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Contact Details
Dr Alwyn Hart