Wastewater metagenomics sequencing for the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in wastewater

While sequencing clinical SARS-CoV-2 isolates has been at the forefront of public health monitoring efforts in the current pandemic, it is resource-intensive. This project is a pilot for assessing the role of monitoring the viral load in the wastewater of the Rotterdam urban districts via metagenomics sequencing. It aims to serve as a complementary and relatively unbiased tool for observing the viral dynamics in large catchments areas. To this end - other parameters such as rainfall volume, salt concentration, and crAssphage (viral) load can be used to standardize the dilution effects in the wastewater.

尽管对临床分离的新型冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）开展测序是当前新冠大流行期间公共卫生监测工作的核心举措，但该方法资源消耗极高。本项目为一项试点研究，旨在评估通过宏基因组测序（metagenomics sequencing）监测鹿特丹城区污水中病毒载量的应用价值。本项目旨在作为一种互补且相对无偏的工具，用于监测大型集水区内的病毒动态变化。为此，可借助降雨量、盐浓度以及crAssphage（病毒）载量等参数，对污水中的稀释效应进行标准化校正。