Digital PCR Enables Breakthroughs in Quantitation and Monitoring
Screening wastewater, or sewage, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA can be an effective monitoring method. Wastewater monitoring enables broad collection of surveillance data – even in areas that have limited access to healthcare or testing facilities. Because natural sewage is highly heterogeneous, a method capable of identifying very rare target RNA from a mixture of non-target nucleic acid molecules is required.
While quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the current standard for COVID-19 clinical testing, the resulting data can be highly variable due to inadequate sample dilution or chemical contamination.1,2 The Absolute Q Digital PCR (dPCR) platform is better suited for detecting SARS-CoV-2 targets from wastewater samples because it overcomes the problem of variability, reduces the impact of many PCR inhibitors, and eliminates the need for standard curves.
