Researchers at the University of Arizona claim to have prevented a coronavirus outbreak on their campus through wastewater analysis, tracking down students who have COVID-19.

On Thursday, August 27, school officials announced that the university was able to detect cases of COVID-19 in its own backyard. "Dr. Pepper has picked up a signal in one of the dorms. It turned out to be Likins. We went over, we tested all the students and the staff that worked there in Likins and we found two positive cases which we moved over to isolation," explained University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins.

 


From University of Arizona's Likins Dormitory

Dr. Ian Pepper, an environmental biologist in charge of the university's Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center, conducts a series of tests in Arizona wastewater—analyzing the presence of harmful materials such as pollutants, microbes, and particles in the state's sewage waters. Dr. Pepper and his colleagues have been testing Arizona waste waters for traces of coronavirus since March this year.

They have also set up a monitoring system to check the wastewater in their own University of Arizona, covering university buildings and dorms. On the other hand, the University of Arizona began returning to its in-person classes last Monday, August 24. By Tuesday, Dr. Pepper's team has already detected a significant volume of coronavirus in campus sewage, tracing it back to the Likins dormitory.

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The dormitory in the Highland District across the Campus Recreation Center had its 311 residents tested for the contagious disease. Two of the tested residents were found positive yet asymptomatic, isolating the two students and tracing the contacts of the two for additional cases.



"With this early detection, we jumped on it right away, tested those youngsters, and got them the appropriate isolation where they needed to be," said university Reentry Task Force Director and former US Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona.

In a follow-up conference on Friday, August 28, Dr. Pepper explained that the presence of  coronavirus can be detected from sewage up to seven days before infected people begin exhibiting symptoms of the disease. He added that those are "precious days in which you can undergo intervention."

University officers stressed that without the wastewater-based testing system headed by Dr. Pepper, the two tested students from the Likins dorm could have spread the coronavirus across the campus.

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Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

Dr. Pepper's wastewater analysis method is conducted across the state, unlike existing coronavirus screening procedures for individuals. Researchers conduct sewage surveillance for the coronavirus by collecting wastewater samples—sewage, treated effluent, or combined sewer overflow—from treatment plants. The samples are analyzed in Dr. Pepper's laboratory, using a testing method developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This method analyzes samples for coronavirus particles, similar to swab testing procedures.

The head of the Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center lab also explained that the procedure is affordable and relatively low-tech. Reagents used in the test cost are about $150. Dr. Pepper, however, noted that there are other costs in the operation including labor and other materials used in the collection of samples. Furthermore, repeated tests are required for reliability purposes. The Likins dormitory, which yielded two confirmed cases, was tested five times to be sure.


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