The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory virus causing coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Individuals with COVID-19 can shed the viral genome in their feces, even if they do not have symptoms, and the virus can be detected in wastewater. The current study provides the first surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome in the wastewater in Egypt. To study this aim, untreated influent (n = 48) and treated effluent (n = 48) samples were collected between January and December 2021 from the wastewater treatment plant in Giza. The viral RNA genome was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (S, E, and N target regions) and real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) (N1 and N2 target regions). The RT-PCR assay failed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in all samples analyzed, whereas RT-qPCR succeeded in the detection of N gene of SARS-CoV-2 in 62.5% of untreated influent samples. The RT-qPCR Ct values of those samples tested positive ranged from 19.9 to 30.1 with a mean of 23. The treated effluent samples were negative for viral RNA detected by both RT-PCR and RT-qPCR, indicating the efficiency of the sewage treatment plant in degrading SARS-CoV-2. Our preliminary findings provide evidence for the value of wastewater epidemiology approach for the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the population to assist in the responses of public health to COVID-19 outbreak.

新型冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）是一种引起冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的呼吸道病毒。即使没有症状，COVID-19 患者也可以在粪便中释放病毒基因组，并且可以在废水中检测到病毒。目前的研究首次对埃及废水中的 SARS-CoV-2 RNA 基因组进行了监测。为了研究这一目标，未经处理的进水 ( n = 48) 和经过处理的出水 ( n= 48) 样本是在 2021 年 1 月至 2021 年 12 月期间从吉萨的废水处理厂收集的。病毒 RNA 基因组通过逆转录聚合酶链反应 (RT-PCR)（S、E 和 N 目标区域）和实时定量逆转录 PCR (RT-qPCR)（N1 和 N2 目标区域）确定。RT-PCR 分析未能在所有分析的样本中检测到 SARS-CoV-2 RNA，而 RT-qPCR 在 62.5% 的未经处理的进水样本中成功检测到 SARS-CoV-2 的 N 基因。RT-qPCR Ct这些样本检测为阳性的值在 19.9 到 30.1 之间，平均值为 23。经处理的流出物样本的 RT-PCR 和 RT-qPCR 检测到的病毒 RNA 均为阴性，表明污水处理厂在降解 SARS-CoV 方面的效率-2。我们的初步研究结果为废水流行病学方法在人群中监测 SARS-CoV-2 以协助公共卫生应对 COVID-19 爆发的价值提供了证据。