Abstract
Since its first identification in the United Kingdom in late 2020, the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 has become dominant in several countries raising great concern. We developed a duplex real-time RT-qPCR assay to detect, discriminate, and quantitate SARS-CoV-2 variants containing one of its mutation signatures, the ΔHV69/70 deletion, and used it to trace the community circulation of the B.1.1.7 variant in Spain through the Spanish National SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance System (VATar COVID-19). The B.1.1.7 variant was detected earlier than clinical epidemiological reporting by the local authorities, first in the southern city of Málaga (Andalucía) in week 20_52 (year_week), and multiple introductions during Christmas holidays were inferred in different parts of the country. Wastewater-based B.1.1.7 tracking showed a good correlation with clinical data and provided information at the local level. Data from wastewater treatment plants, which reached B.1.1.7 prevalences higher than 90% for ≥2 consecutive weeks showed that 8.1 ± 2.0 weeks were required for B.1.1.7 to become dominant. The study highlights the applicability of RT-qPCR-based strategies to track specific mutations of variants of concern as soon as they are identified by clinical sequencing and their integration into existing wastewater surveillance programs, as a cost-effective approach to complement clinical testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: B.1.1.7 variant; COVID-19; NGS; RT-qPCR; SARS-CoV-2; wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE).
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, NGS, RT-qPCR, B.1.1.7 variant, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), 【초록키워드】 Treatment, Mutation, Epidemiology, COVID-19 pandemic, Sequencing, variant, SARS-CoV-2 variant, variants of concern, Local, complement, variants, Prevalence, RT-qPCR, wastewater, B.1.1.7 variant, plants, Surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 variants, B.1.1.7, qPCR, Spain, Community, epidemiological, circulation, correlation, information, United Kingdom, Clinical data, specific mutations, clinical testing, applicability, Malaga, dominant, Spanish, System, approach, country, highlight, detect, required, provided, reached, specific mutation, Christma, raising, The B.1.1.7, 【제목키워드】 wastewater, emergence, monitoring, Spanish, System, the SARS-CoV-2,