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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.