COVID-19 and Nanoscience in the Developing World: Rapid Detection and Remediation in Wastewater

Given the known presence of SARS-Cov-2 in wastewater, stemming disease spread in global regions where untreated effluent in the environment is common will experience additional pressure. Though development and preliminary trials of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 have been launched in several countries, rapid and effective alternative tools for the timely detection and remediation of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, especially in the developing countries, is of paramount importance. Here, we propose a promising, non-invasive technique for early prediction and targeted detection of SARS-CoV-2 to prevent current and future outbreaks. Thus, a combination of nanotechnology with wastewater-based epidemiology and artificial intelligence could be deployed for community-level wastewater virus detection and remediation.

Automated summary

Controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in global regions with common untreated effluent is urgent. While vaccine development is underway, timely detection and remediation of the virus in wastewater, especially in developing countries, is crucial. A proposed technique combining nanotechnology, wastewater-based epidemiology, and artificial intelligence could be effective for detecting and remedying SARS-CoV-2 in community-level wastewater.