Saskatoon COVID-19: Wastewater data shows further decrease
A discarded face mask rests on a Saskatoon sidewalk. (Chad Leroux/CTV News)
Traces of the virus that causes COVID-19 decreased by nearly 60 per cent in Saskatoon’s wastewater report indicating a drop in COVID-19 infections.
The most recent wastewater report, which includes an average of three daily samples over the week ending on Jan. 18, describes levels of the COVID-19 virus in the city’s wastewater as medium, compared to the 10-week average.
The viral RNA load in Saskatoon's wastewater decreased by 59.4 per cent.
The previous data showed a decrease in viral RNA of 34 per cent in the last week of December 2022. The Global Institute for Water Security says the data indicates infections are reducing compared to the trend observed since that period.
All of the virus found in Saskatoon’s wastewater samples were some form of the Omicron variant, according to the researchers.
In North Battleford, the most recent sampling found a viral RNA increase of 148 per cent for the week ending on Jan. 18.
Wastewater sampling in Prince Albert found an increase of 11.8 per cent in the same period.
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