Post-lockdown detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater of Montpellier, France

oleh: Julie Trottier, Regis Darques, Nassim Ait Mouheb, Emma Partiot, William Bakhache, Maika S. Deffieu, Raphael Gaudin

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Elsevier 2020-12-01

Deskripsi

The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic can be monitored through the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage. Here, we measured the amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the inflow point of the main waste water treatment plant (WWTP) of Montpellier, France. We collected samples 4 days before the end of lockdown and up to 70 days post-lockdown. We detected increased amounts of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the WWTP from mid-June on, whereas the number of new COVID-19 cases in the area started increasing a couple of weeks later. Future epidemiologic investigations shall explain such asynchronous finding.