Table 2.
A comparison between automated methods for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Since each study calculates the LoD differently, the lowest detected viral load (RNA copies per mL of wastewater) is reported.
| Method | Pre-Treatment | Concentration | Extraction | Time* | Recovery Efficiency* * | Lowest Detected Viral Load (copies/mL of wastewater) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adsorption –Precipitation[27] | Manual | Automated | Manual | 2 h | 4.8 ± 1.4% | 64 |
| Maxwell RSC RNA Extraction[28] | Manual | Manual | Automated | 3 h | 30.2 ± 17.7% | 36 |
| King Fisher Flex RNA Extraction[30] | None | Manual | Automated | 2.5 h | 60.6 ± 31.2% | 80 |
| King Fisher Flex RNA Extraction + Ceres Nanotrap™[29] | Manual | Automated | Automated | 3 h | 27.0 ± 8.0% | ∼100 |
| Manual ESP[31] | None | Manual | Manual | 70 min | 75.5 ± 38.1% | 206 |
| Automated ESP | None | Automated | Automated | 40 min | 84.5 ± 25.4% | 40 |
*The time it takes from raw wastewater to extracted RNA ready for PCR reaction.
* * Average recovery efficiency over the reported range of viral concentrations.