Moderate rise in wastewater coronavirus in Gothenburg

The researchers have been reporting their findings continuously to healthcare providers, the Infection Control Unit in Region Västra Götaland, and the public. For funding reasons, the project is now being wrapped up.

The measurements and analyses have attracted much attention during the pandemic. The research team’s weekly reports have shown both how widespread the SARS-CoV-2 infection has been in the community, and its distribution among diverse variants of the virus.

In a scientific study published in the journal iScience, the team succeeded in establishing that monitoring of viruses in wastewater enables prediction of pandemic trends and the burden of the pandemic on various parts of the healthcare system. This finding is independent of testing capacity in the community and the scope for tracking infections.

Monitoring of other viruses

The study has demonstrated a common pattern in the four pandemic waves of 2020–22. Each has followed a pattern of peaks in SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater followed by surges in the numbers of newly hospitalized patients within a couple of weeks.

The viral peaks in the wastewater also permitted prediction of increasing pressure on 1177 Vårdguiden, the Swedish telephone and online healthcare service. One to two weeks after a virus peak in the wastewater, more people called in about acute shortness of breath in adults.

The method used in Gothenburg has also made monitoring of other viruses feasible. This has afforded unique scope for rapid detection of ongoing outbreaks. Apart from SARS-CoV-2, the viruses monitored have included norovirus (the “winter vomiting bug”) and astrovirus, a major cause of severe diarrhea, among children.