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Review
. 2024 Nov 30;196(12):1276.
doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13464-7.

An updated review on SARS-CoV-2 in hospital wastewater: occurrence and persistence

Mohsen Ansari  1   2 , Ali Behnami  3   4 , Khaled Zoroufchi Benis  5 , Mahdi Farzadkia  6   7
Affiliations
Review

An updated review on SARS-CoV-2 in hospital wastewater: occurrence and persistence

Mohsen Ansari et al. Environ Monit Assess. .

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, primarily affecting the respiratory system, is also found in fecal samples from COVID-19 patients, demonstrating wastewater as a significant route for viral RNA transmission. During high prevalence periods, healthcare facility wastewater became a potential contamination source. Understanding the role of wastewater in epidemiology is crucial for public health risk assessment. In hospitals, with a specific number of COVID-19 cases, wastewater analysis offers a unique opportunity to link virus presence in wastewater with COVID-19 hospitalizations, a connection that is not possible in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Shorter wastewater transit times enable more accurate virus tracking. With documented infection rates and rigorous testing, hospitals are ideal for wastewater monitoring, revealing practicalities and limitations. This review updates global efforts in quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in hospital wastewater, considering hospitalization rates' influence on viral RNA levels and comparing disinfection methods. Insights gleaned from this study contribute to Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE) and can be applied to other virus strains, enhancing our understanding of disease transmission dynamics and aiding in public health response strategies.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hospital wastewater; SARS-CoV-2; Wastewater-based epidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of authors” as found in the Instructions for Authors. Consent for publication: All authors have read and agreed to the publication of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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