# COVID Surveillance in South Dakota Wastewater and Clinical Samples

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA · 2022 · $117,839

## Abstract

Project Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has currently caused over 81 million
illnesses and 996,000 deaths in the United States. Variants that show changes in
transmissibility (Omicron variants) and symptom severity (Delta variants) have recently
emerged. The impact of these variants on immune and non-immune populations remains
unknown. Within South Dakota, waves in SARS-CoV-2 infections have occurred since the
pandemic began, resulting in significant stress on our healthcare infrastructure, especially in
our medically underserved communities. In direct response to the Notice of Special Interest
(NOSI): Urgent Competitive Revisions to IDeA and NARCH Programs for SARS-CoV-2
Surveillance Studies, the current supplement proposes expanding our efforts in SARS-CoV-2
surveillance. Specifically, next-generation sequencing will be conducted on both clinical and
wastewater samples to increase our surveillance efforts, including in rural and urban areas of
South Dakota. To achieve our research goals, a subset of clinical samples collected in South
Dakota will be sequenced each month and this will be complemented by wastewater
surveillance in these communities. These sequences will be used to determine how the
incidence of variants in South Dakota counties relates to the number of cases over time. The
goal is to identify SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and variant shifts in rural and urban communities 2-
3 weeks before surges in hospitalizations. These findings will advance research on the spread
and evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in underserved communities throughout the state.
Through these efforts, we will provide critical information regarding circulating variants in
areas of the underserved Midwest that are expected to see significant increases in tourism in
the coming months.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10595320
- **Project number:** 3P20GM103443-20S4
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Victor Chester Huber
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $117,839
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2001-09-24 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10595320

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10595320, COVID Surveillance in South Dakota Wastewater and Clinical Samples (3P20GM103443-20S4). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10595320. Licensed CC0.

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