ICRA participated in the 27th Social Return Event of La Marató de 3Cat, held at the 3Cat facilities in Sant Joan Despí, where the results of the 36 COVID-19 research projects funded through the nearly €14 million raised during the 2020 edition were presented. Altogether, these projects involved 98 research teams and more than 850 researchers from across Catalonia.

Among the featured projects was “Assessment of COVID-19 Spread through Wastewater-Based Epidemiology: Typing, Community Screening and Occupational Risk” (EPISARS), coordinated by Dr. Sílvia Bofill Mas from the University of Barcelona, with the participation of ICRA and Eurecat. The project received €379,100 in funding from La Marató 2020.

EPISARS has helped consolidate wastewater-based epidemiology as a key tool for monitoring infectious diseases. The project developed innovative methodologies to detect and analyse the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, educational centres and livestock farms, with the aim of improving epidemiological surveillance systems and preparedness for future public health emergencies.

Key achievements include improvements in virus monitoring techniques in wastewater, assessment of occupational risks associated with environmental exposure to SARS-CoV-2, development of sequencing tools for identifying viral variants, and the generation of knowledge on virus circulation across different communities and territories. The findings reinforce the role of wastewater as an early warning system for public health.

The Social Return Event highlighted the impact of public solidarity in advancing biomedical research. According to the La Marató Foundation, the investment has generated new knowledge and significant advances in the diagnosis, prevention and monitoring of COVID-19 and its long-term consequences.

ICRA’s participation in EPISARS exemplifies the contribution of water-related research to global health and demonstrates the potential of wastewater analysis as a strategic tool for monitoring population health and anticipating future epidemiological threats.