COVID-19: The environmental implications of shedding SARS-CoV-2 in human faeces

Quilliam, Richard S.; Weidmann, Manfred; Moresco, Vanessa; Purshouse, Heather; O'Hara, Zoe; Oliver, David M.

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.105790

Cited by 104 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…This approach can provide rapid and reliable information about the disease outbreaks and their trends in the population. It seems to be suitable for surveillance of mild, subclinical, or asymptomatic cases [25,[40][41][42][43][44]. Our preliminary results confirmed the potential of this approach for use as an early warning tool for effective surveillance of the diseases spread.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Preliminary Study of Sars-Cov-2 Occurrence in Wastewater in the Czech Republic

Mlejnková

Sovová

Vašíčková

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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The virus SARS-CoV-2, which has caused the recent COVID-19 pandemic, may be present in the stools of COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we aimed to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater for surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the population. Samples of untreated wastewater were collected from 33 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of different sizes within the Czech Republic. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was concentrated from wastewater and viral RNA was determined using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 11.6% of samples and more than 27.3% of WWTPs; in some of them, SARS-CoV-2 was detected repeatedly. Our preliminary results indicate that an epidemiology approach that focuses on the determination of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater could be suitable for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in the population.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Preliminary Study of Sars-Cov-2 Occurrence in Wastewater in the Czech Republic

Mlejnková

Sovová

Vašíčková

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…The potential impact wastewaters being infected by SARS-CoV-2 is highly relevant in the developing country context [ 63 ]. Despite the hostile conditions of the marine environment, viruses can maintain their infectious capacity in the water for prolonged periods, reaching the aquatic environment via sewage discharges [ 64 , 65 ].…”

Section: Environmental Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beach Tourism in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Critical Issues, Knowledge Gaps and Research Opportunities

Zielinski

Botero²

2020

IJERPH

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The strict quarantine measures employed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic have led the global tourism industry to a complete halt, disrupting the livelihoods of millions. The economic importance of beach tourism for many destinations has led many governments to reopen tourist beaches, as soon as the number of infection cases decreased. The objective of this paper is to provide a scientific basis for understanding the key issues for beach tourism management in these circumstances. These issues include risk perception, environmental considerations directly related to beaches and COVID-19, and management strategies designed to limit the risk of contagion on the beach. The contribution of this paper lies in its interdisciplinary approach to delivering the findings from the latest studies, highly relevant for beach tourism, in psychology, health science, and environmental science (often in preprint and in press format). Particular attention was given to identifying the knowledge gaps evident in the areas of COVID-19 risk perception, with the drivers explaining the risk-taking behavior and the protective strategies employed by beachgoers. Gaps were also found in areas such as the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in bathing waters and the sand, the potential of contaminated sand being a viable route of transmission, and the impact of the use of chemical disinfectants on the marine environment and on bathers. The paper identifies research prospects in these areas, additionally pointing out other questions such as new carrying capacity methods, the opportunity given by COVID-19 in estimation of the impacts of visitation and beach-litter.

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“…The microbiome established is dependent on the route of birth, and is then modulated by nutritional intake, living conditions, the polluted environment and the presence of pets [56,57]. As SARS-CoV-2 appears to persist in the GI tracts and can be detected in human feces [58,59], it will interact, affect, and be affected by the microbiome. Indeed, diarrhea is now recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a COVID-19 symptom and it is a clear sign of microbial dysbiosis [60].…”

Section: Early Life-infectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Does Our Early Life Environment, Life Trajectory and Socioeconomic Status Determine Disease Susceptibility and Severity?

Holuka

Merz

Fernandes

et al. 2020

IJMS

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A poor socioeconomic environment and social adversity are fundamental determinants of human life span, well-being and health. Previous influenza pandemics showed that socioeconomic factors may determine both disease detection rates and overall outcomes, and preliminary data from the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic suggests that this is still true. Over the past years it has become clear that early-life adversity (ELA) plays a critical role biasing the immune system towards a pro-inflammatory and senescent phenotype many years later. Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) appear to be particularly sensitive to the early life social environment. As we understand more about the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 it appears that a functional CTL (CD8+) response is required to clear the infection and COVID-19 severity is increased as the CD8+ response becomes somehow diminished or exhausted. This raises the hypothesis that the ELA-induced pro-inflammatory and senescent phenotype may play a role in determining the clinical course of COVID-19, and the convergence of ELA-induced senescence and COVID-19 induced exhaustion represents the worst-case scenario with the least effective T-cell response. If the correct data is collected, it may be possible to separate the early life elements that have made people particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 many years later. This will, naturally, then help us identify those that are most at risk from developing the severest forms of COVID-19. In order to do this, we need to recognize socioeconomic and early-life factors as genuine medically and clinically relevant data that urgently need to be collected. Finally, many biological samples have been collected in the ongoing studies. The mechanisms linking the early life environment with a defined later-life phenotype are starting to be elucidated, and perhaps hold the key to understanding inequalities and differences in the severity of COVID-19.

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COVID-19: The environmental implications of shedding SARS-CoV-2 in human faeces

Cited by 104 publications

References 12 publications

Preliminary Study of Sars-Cov-2 Occurrence in Wastewater in the Czech Republic

Preliminary Study of Sars-Cov-2 Occurrence in Wastewater in the Czech Republic

Beach Tourism in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Critical Issues, Knowledge Gaps and Research Opportunities

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Does Our Early Life Environment, Life Trajectory and Socioeconomic Status Determine Disease Susceptibility and Severity?

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