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. 2024 Oct;30(10):2194-2196.
doi: 10.3201/eid3010.240637.

Correlation between Viral Wastewater Concentration and Respiratory Tests, Oregon, USA

Noah Lininger, Rebecca Falender, Paul Cieslak, Arilene Novak, M Andraya Hendrick, Devrim Kaya, Casey Kanalos, Oumaima Hachimi, David Mickle, Christine Kelly, Tyler Radniecki, Melissa Sutton

Correlation between Viral Wastewater Concentration and Respiratory Tests, Oregon, USA

Noah Lininger et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

We evaluated the association between wastewater concentration and weekly percent positivity of patient testing for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus in Oregon, USA. We found strong, positive correlations for SARS-CoV-2 (ρ = 0.84, p<0.001), influenza (ρ = 0.73, p<0.001) and respiratory syncytial virus (ρ = 0.69, p<0.001).

Keywords: COVID-19; Oregon; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; correlation study; environmental surveillance; influenza; respiratory syncytial virus; viruses; wastewater surveillance; wastewater-based epidemiology.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Statewide weekly wastewater viral concentration (log copies/d/person) and clinical human test positivity over time for respiratory pathogens, Oregon, USA, September 6, 2020–May 11, 2023. A) SARS-CoV-2; B) respiratory syncytial virus; C) influenza. Nondetect values were assigned the mean 1/2 limit of detection for each pathogen. Open circles indicate no detections for that week.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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