Severe spike in COVID-19 detected in Saskatoon wastewater

The COVID-19 viral load in Saskatoon's wastewater spiked by more than 400 per cent in one week, according to research from the University of Saskatchewan.

Researchers from the university's Global Water Futures program have been analyzing wastewater samples from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for COVID-19 since summer 2020. The results can predict a rise or fall of COVID-19 diagnoses about a week in advance.

Researchers say most people start shedding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, within 24 hours of being infected.

In the researchers' most recent weekly report, Saskatoon's viral load increased by4.6 times compared tothe previousweek, which had some of the lowest numbers of the year.

Despite the jump, researchers are rating the city's viral levels a medium risk, because they remains lower than the 10-week average.

John Giesy, one of the lead researchers,said in an email that the rising viral levels could indicate the beginning of the next wave of COVID-19.

In Prince Albert, the viral load increased by about 83.6 per cent and has steadily increased to the highest it has been in the past month.

Meanwhile, North Battleford's viral levels barely shifted from the past week's report.

About half of the COVID-19 detected in Saskatoon and Prince Albert wastewater samples was the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, which is considered highly transmissible.

In North Battleford, BA.5 remains the dominant strain at 42.4 per cent, with other Omicron subvariants making up most of the remainder.

The University of Regina conducts similar testing on that city's wastewater. It had not released its latest report as of 9 a.m. CST Monday.