Concentration methods for the quantification of coronavirus and other potentially pandemic enveloped virus from wastewater

Since the novel SARS-CoV-2 was detected in faeces, environmental researchers have been using centrifugal ultrafiltration, polyethylene glycol precipitation and aluminium hydroxide flocculation to describe its presence in wastewater samples. High recoveries (up to 65%) are described with electronegative filtration when using surrogate viruses, but few literature reports recovery efficiencies using accurate quantification of enveloped viruses. Considering that every single virus will have a different behaviour during viral concentration, it is recommended to use an enveloped virus, and if possible, a betacoronaviruses as murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a surrogate. In this review we show new data from a new available technology that provides a quick ultrafiltration protocol for SARS-CoV-2. Wastewater surveillance is an efficient system for the evaluation of the relative prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a community, and there is the need of using reliable concentration methods for an accurate and sensitive quantification of the virus in water.
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Highlights • There are efficient methods to concentrate enveloped virus such as coronaviruses. • More data on the recovery of the specific pathogen of interest is needed. • Viral surrogates, ideally betacoronavirus, may be used as SARS-CoV-2 process control. • Recovery calculation needs an accurate quantification of the viral stock.