Can I get coronavirus (COVID-19) from wastewater?
No. Current evidence shows that the virus cannot be spread through wastewater.
Will wastewater testing replace other types of testing for coronavirus (COVID-19)?
No. Wastewater testing will complement – but cannot replace – other kinds of COVID-19 testing, including nose and throat swabs. This is because wastewater testing does not tell us if an individual has COVID-19, only that it may be present in the broader community.
It is important that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of taste or smell) is tested and isolates until they get their result.
How can coronavirus (COVID-19) be detected in wastewater?
People who have had coronavirus (COVID-19) normally shed the virus when they do day-to-day activities like blowing their noses and going to the toilet. People can continue to shed the virus for several weeks after they recover from COVID-19, even when they are no longer infectious. The virus enters wastewater through drains and toilets, and travels through the sewerage network as viral fragments.
Does a wastewater detection always mean that there is an active case of COVID-19 in that community?
No, not necessarily. While detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral fragments in wastewater may be from a person in the early and infectious stage of coronavirus (COVID-19), it could also be from someone who has fully recovered from COVID-19 and is no longer infectious but is still shedding the virus. People can shed the virus for weeks after they recover from COVID-19. A wastewater detection could also be from a visitor or someone passing through the community who is no longer present in the community.
What are the samples used for?
The samples will be tested for viral fragments of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus (COVID-19). The findings may provide an early warning of undiagnosed COVID-19 in the community. Specifically, samples may detect COVID-19 in the community that either hasn’t yet been diagnosed, or from people who have recently recovered from the disease and are no longer infectious.
In some cases, detection of viral fragments in wastewater may lead to more wastewater testing, or changes to public health advice (like asking community members to get tested for COVID-19).