Wastewater surveillance is a cost-effective technique for early signalling of epidemic and pandemic infections including COVID-19. With the entry of new strains, it is important to track the spread of COVID-19 in a particular catchment region. Centre for Research in Environment, Sustainable Advocacy and Climate Change (REACH), Directorate of Research, of SRM Institute of Science & Technology – Kattankulathur, in collaboration with Swasti – Health Catalyst, a public health organisation in Bangalore, set up an environmental surveillance platform in Tiruchchirappalli, Tamil Nadu for testing environmental samples for SARS-CoV-2.
The project affords governing authorities the ability to monitor the prevalence of infections among the population and prepare for any eventualities throughearly signalling because fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 happens well before the onset of symptoms.
Speaking at the stakeholder workshop conducted on 2nd February 2024 at Trichy, City Health Officer Dr. T. Manivannan welcomed the project initiative and stated, “The city is always interested in bettering public health preparedness”.
Prof Paromita Chakraborty, Principal Investigator and Head of REACH, Directorate of Research, SRMIST stated that the project outcomes were the detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the wastewater with a concurrence of COVID-19 cases in Trichy for the last 10 months. Prof. Chakraborty said that based on the suggestions from the government stakeholders they have just completed a screening technique for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Trichy using wastewater surveillance.Dr. Mukesh Pasupuleti, Principal Scientist, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute said, “It’s high time that a national level monitoring study on AMR is conducted. Need of the hour is the establishment of a baseline.”