COVID-19, known for severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by coronavírus SARS-Cov-2 is
characterized by its rapid spread. The pandemic culminated in a social isolation creating
significant impacts on the economy and it has taken attention to the key aspects of water,
sanitation and hygiene and the identification of the coronavírus presence in wastewater. The
purpose of this article is to explain some of the aspects associated with the centrality of the
water and sanitation binomial that may prove to be decisive for recovering the world economy
in the post COVID-19 period, through the presentation and evaluation of statistics and scientific
studies, namely:: 1) human right to water and sanitation, for guarantee life quality, productive
capacity and public health, but with a challenge, especially for economically vulnerable
countries; 2) relationship with the epidemiology and occurrence of the coronavírus in the
sewage, drawing the attention of the scientific community, society and decision makers, even
though there is still no scientific evidence of its fecal-oral transmission; 3) the relationship
between water and the economy, considering it a basic resource for industrial and agricultural
production and job creation. The construction of the concept “new centrality of water and
sanitation” can be considered as a key factor for the economy recovery post-COVID-19.