WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Inglada Galiana, Maria San Miguel and Angel San Miguel*

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has been detected in wastewater, which has led to growing interest in its study from an epidemiological perspective. The epidemiological importance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater lies in: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material has been observed in wastewater, indicating the excretion of the virus by infected individuals through their feces. Wastewater testing can provide information on viral presence and load in a community, which can serve as an early indicator of virus spread before clinical cases are detected. The amount of virus genetic material in wastewater can be correlated with the viral load in the population, allowing the extent of infection in a community to be assessed. Wastewater monitoring can function as an early warning tool, identifying potential outbreaks and allowing rapid response by public health authorities. Wastewater analysis can help evaluate the effectiveness of control measures, such as lockdowns or vaccination campaigns, by observing changes in viral load over time. Surveillance in wastewater can contribute to the detection of genetic variants of the virus, which is crucial to understanding the evolution of the disease. Monitoring in wastewater can provide valuable information for public health decision-making, facilitating the allocation of resources and the implementation of effective strategies to control the spread of the virus. In summary, wastewater analysis plays an important role in the epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. Provides key data to understand the dynamics of infection in a population and allows proactive measures to be taken to control the spread of the virus and protect public health.

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