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The current COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed more lives than the other three earlier coronavirus outbreaks, which necessitates the need for an early warning system for a faster response to similar outbreaks. With the economic and practical limits of medical screening for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 coming sharply into focus worldwide, scientists are now turning to wastewater- based epidemiology (WBE) as a potential tool for assessing and managing the pandemic. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a promising approach to understanding the prevalence of viruses in a given wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) catchment population.
Aims: The project focuses on the development and optimisation of new, advanced molecular methods for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater.
Objectives:
1. Todevelopasensitiveandaccuratemethod for the detection and quantification of coronavirus in wastewater
The project will provide an optimised method for the detection and quantification of SARS- CoV-2 virus in wastewater. This will provide an effective system for the early detection of infections in populations and provide data to track the infection dynamics.This approach will save authorities money and logistics required for person-to-person testing.
The socio-economic impact of this pandemic may still be felt years after the development of a vaccine and possible containment of infections. COVID-19 has shown the loopholes in our health systems and has highlighted the inadequacies in our disease-monitoring approaches, which are dependent upon clinical testing or numbers of cases reported in health centres. The WBE approach gives a much more efficient way of monitoring such outbreaks and will ensure that we are ready for a ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 infections and other pandemics in the future.
Prof Faizal Bux and Dr Sheena Kumari Kriveshin Pillay, Dr Isaac Dennis Amoah, Dr Leanne Pillay, Dr Oluyemi Olatunji Awolusi, Dr Khalid Muzamil Gani, Dr Taher Abunama and Nashia Deepnarian Tel: 031 373 2782 | Email: faizalb@dut.ac.za/sheenak1@dut.ac.za
2020-2021
1854000.00
