Delta now 'dominant' COVID-19 strain in Saskatoon sewage samples, researchers say
The Delta variant is spreading about 55% faster than the alpha strain that was first identified in the United Kingdom late last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) -- and that strain spreads about 50% faster than the version that first began infecting people in late 2019. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Saskatoon -
The latest update from researchers shows both increase in the presence of COVID-19 and the continuing rise of the Delta variant.
In samples collected from July 29 through Aug. 4, the team found a 118 per cent increase in COVID-19 fragments compared to the previous week.
The presence of the fragments doesn't necessarily mean an increase in infections due to the number of fully vaccinated people, the University of Saskatchewan team said in its update.
Fragments shed by the highly-contagious Delta variant are 'now dominant' in the city's wastewater, the researchers said.
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