COVID-19 boosted efforts to track diseases in wastewater, providing a window into public health through daily samples from treatment plants across the Twin Cities metro area. Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Metropolitan Council began analyzing wastewater for genetic material indicative of COVID-19, offering a lead time of up to 15 days ahead of clinical cases.
Before the pandemic, researchers had used wastewater surveillance to detect pathogens like polio in the 1940s. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic accelerated that scientists turned their attention to monitoring viruses through wastewater.
In spring 2020, professors Richard Melvin and Glenn Simmons Jr. launched a study on detecting COVID-19 in wastewater, with an initial goal of getting 15 days’ notice before cases emerged at clinics. Their work led to collaboration between the University of Minnesota’s Genomics Center and the Metropolitan Council, which operate treatment plants.
The process involves extracting RNA from wastewater samples using a technique called droplet digital PCR. This method allowed researchers to detect new strains like Delta and Omicron as the virus mutated.
The data provided by wastewater surveillance has been valuable for public health officials. Schools used the information to make decisions on in-person meetings, while families gauged safety for gatherings during holidays.
Today, more than 40 plants across Minnesota collect and analyze wastewater for COVID-19, along with emerging viruses such as avian influenza and Mpox. Researchers acknowledge that there is still much to be learned about the relationship between wastewater and certain illnesses but emphasize its importance as a tool for rapid detection of new agents that may impact communities.
As scientists continue to refine their methods, they recognize the potential for wastewater surveillance to become a critical component of public health monitoring, offering valuable insights into emerging diseases and helping officials prepare for potential outbreaks.
Source: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/03/13/covid-boosted-efforts-to-track-diseases-in-wastewater