Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have for the prevalence of COVID-19 in waste matter globally.

International evidence on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in human faeces, urine and wastewater has been examined by the Transmission of Covid-19 in the Wider Environment Group (TWEG), an expert group commissioned by Defra.

This group published its initial findings in a report to SAGE on 12 June, on www.gov.uk, - TWEG: Evidence of wider environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 - and is continuing to examine new evidence as it emerges.

While the virus is present in human waste, evidence shows that it is rapidly inactivated so transmission risk from exposure to contaminated wastewater is assessed to be very low.