The COVID-19 disease pandemic has clearly shown the need for a timely response of reliable information on biological hazards from wastewater and appropriate protective practices for wastewater workers. Because it is within WEF's mission to provide consensus-based, practical advice for water professionals, WEF convened a blue-ribbon panel of experts to review advice guidance provided in existing WEF publications as well as other publicly available information sources and to determine if supplemental advice guidance or recommendations are warranted. The panel completed its work and WEF released the panel's report "Protecting Wastewater Professionals from COVID-19 and Other Biological Hazards'". Attendees will hear from the chair of the panel, each of the panel's workgroup facilitators, and WEF's Chief Medical Officer as they discuss the key findings.
At the end of this learning module, participants will be able to
- discuss interim guidance on wastewater biohazards including COVID-19 virus;
- describe the current needs for personal protective equipment; and
- identify knowledge gaps that would benefit from further research.
