Monitoring COVID-19 spread in selected Prague's schools based on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater

The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded a broad range of techniques to better monitor its extent. Owing to its consistency, non-invasiveness, and cost effectiveness, wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a relevant approach to monitor the pandemic's course. In this work, we analyzed the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic in five primary schools in Prague, the Czech Republic, and how different preventive measures impact the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copy numbers in wastewaters. Copy numbers were measured by reverse transcription–multiplex quantitative real-time PCR. These copy numbers were compared to the number of infected individuals in each school identified through regular clinical tests. Each school had a different monitoring regime and subsequent application of preventive measures to thwart the spread of COVID-19. The schools that constantly identified and swiftly quarantined infected individuals exhibited persistently low amounts of SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies in their wastewaters. In one school, a consistent monitoring of infected individuals, coupled with a delayed action to quarantine, allowed for the estimation of a linear model to predict the number of infected individuals based on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater. The results show the importance of case detection and quarantining to stop the spread of the pandemic and its impact on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewaters. This work also shows that wastewater-based epidemiological models can be reliably used even in small water catchments, but difficulties arise to fit models due to the nonconstant input of viral particles into the wastewater systems.