Executive Summary : | Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a cost-effective and less time-consuming method for detecting the presence of circulating viruses in populations, such as SARS-CoV-2. Direct detection methods may give false negative results due to dilution of viruses in sewage, so concentration of virus particles in sewage samples is done using a PEG/Dextran precipitation method followed by nucleic acid extraction and RT-qPCR. However, this method is time-consuming and takes around 16 hours to concentrate the sample. A rapid detection method, GeneXpert, can detect the presence of the virus even at low viral load without needing to concentrate the sample. RT-ddPCR is another suggested method for SARS-CoV-2 detection in environmental samples, as it allows for the detection of very low viral copy numbers and variants. Digital droplet PCR can also be used to detect novel mutations. The DHR High Throughput lab, equipped with advanced testing facilities, is aiming to detect the virus in wastewater samples from open drains, surface water, WWTPs, and water used to wash vegetables in markets at various locations. This will be the first Indian study to use ddPCR and the rapid GeneXpert system for investing SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples. Sequencing positive samples on an Oxford nanopore sequencer will provide an early sign of a new emerging mutant, and a gold standard technique will be established for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and new variants. |