Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in open-water sewage canals contaminated with untreated wastewater in resource-constrained regions.

Sewage-based surveillance for COVID-19 has been described in multiple countries and multiple settings. However, nearly all are based on testing sewage treatment plant inflows and outflows using structured sewage networks and treatment systems. Many resource-limited countries worldwide have open canals, lakes and other such waste-contaminated water bodies that act as a means of sewage effluent discharge.