COVID-19 levels in Sudbury wastewater are rising, researchers say
According to researchers in Sudbury, the level of COVID-19 present in the city's wastewater is higher now than it was during the same time in 2021.
They fear the levels will only increase in the coming weeks as we head into the winter months.
Researcher Gustavo Ybazeta has been testing the city's wastewater for more than two years. He said the current levels are at 16 copies/ml compared to this time last year, when they were approximately 0.3 copies/ml.
“That means we have some level of transmission in our population in the catchment area," Ybazeta said.
"What will happen in the next days or weeks is to be seen.”
The research is being done at the Health Sciences North Research Institute. Laboratory staff have been monitoring COVID-19 levels in the city’s wastewater, doing three tests a week at the Kelly Lake treatment plant.
Testing is an important tool public health units use to provide a risk index to the community. It's used in combination with case counts, hospitalizations and outbreaks.
“It’s essentially a snapshot of what’s happening within the community," said Katie Junkin of Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
"We do look at it in a seven-day interval, so it's updated each Monday and at this point in time we are at a high-risk level."
Ybazeta said samples taken at the Kelly Lake treatment plant includes about 40 per cent of the city’s population. He said he would like to see funding provided to do testing at half a dozen of the city’s 15 plants in order to give a better overall picture.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.