Dear colleagues,
It is our great pleasure to announce the third edition of the Protocol Webinar Series 2020. This time we look at: “Surveillance of COVID-19 virus in wastewater: Where we stand”. Please have a look at the enclosed flyer for further details on the background, contents and programme.
WHEN? The webinar will take place on Thursday, 15 October 2020 from 10:30 – 12:00 a.m. CEST via WebEx and run in English only.
WHERE TO REGISTER? Registration is required to join this webinar. Please register by using the following link:
https://who.webex.com/who/k2/j.php?MTID=tebf542f72d18ce3f45c966890fe5f510.
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the session.
BACKGROUND MATERIALS Environmental surveillance of pathogens in wastewater is a proven concept in public health. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered research to detect non-infective RNA fragments of SARS-CoV-2 in communal wastewater. The webinar introduces the concept and use cases of surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, features case examples from three countries and addresses open questions that need to be looked at towards promoting such surveillance at scale. For further background reading, we recommend the WHO Scientific brief on the status of environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 virus and the summary report of a recent WHO expert consultation on the subject matter.
PROTOCOL WEBINAR SERIES 2020 The session is the third of the webinar series organized under the Protocol on Water and Health. The series addresses different areas of ongoing work under the Protocol and also covers different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to water, sanitation, hygiene and health. In times where we cannot meet in person, the sessions provide an opportunity to stay connected, discuss current issues, best practices and solutions.
Best regards,
On behalf of the joint UNECE/WHO secretariat
Oliver Schmoll