Virtual International Water Research Summit on Environmental Surveillance of COVID-19 Indicators in Sewersheds – Closing Session

Webcast

The Closing Session of the Virtual International Water Research Summit on Environmental Surveillance of COVID-19 Indicators in Sewersheds presented new recommendations from Working Groups, who were tasked with exploring best practices in four areas:

  1. Standardized procedures for collection, preservation, and archiving of wastewater samples
  2. Use of molecular genetics tools to identify the concentration of indicators of COVID-19 in wastewater samples
  3. Use of indicator concentrations to inform trends and estimates of community prevalence
  4. How to communicate environmental surveillance results with the public health community, elected officials, wastewater workers, and the public

In addition to enhanced best practices, the Working Groups also shared concrete recommendations for near-term research projects that could fill knowledge gaps in each of the four areas. Details on WRF’s plans to solicit partners and fund this research were also shared.