The CentrEau-COVID project consisted of a program to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. The initial aim of this project was to detect increases in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the population before detection by PCR tests. This project had been funded by a $1.7M funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec and private foundations. Unfortunately, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux has failed to see the potential of this monitoring program and has not issued funding to continue wastewater testing in the province.
Professors Peter Vanrolleghem and Sarah Dorner say they are very disappointed to see the loss of this opportunity, especially since the expertise built in Quebec in record time will disappear. In addition, Quebec will not be able to provide so many PCR tests forever and an indirect tool such as detection in wastewater would have been very practical these days. Wastewater analysis could also be an epidemiological tool for several viruses and bacteria that it would be interesting to have on hand.
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