Why Saskatoon's COVID-19 trend could be cause for cautious optimism
With the University of Saskatchewan research team monitoring the city's wastewater for signs of COVID-19 noting an 85 per cent drop in its latest update, experts in the city say the trend is cause for cautious optimism.
“All the people that I've known that had it are recovered and back to work, so I think that was reflected in our numbers,” said John Giesy, one of the researchers.
Giesy believes the findings are a signal that the city has passed the peak of the sixth wave of COVID-19.
“It's springtime, and so that's generally when things trend down, and now we've got a lot of people with immunity.”
Nazeem Muhajarine, an epidemiologist based at the university, agrees.
“Omicron has infected all of the susceptible people who it could infect, and maybe it is sort of on its way out,” he said.
“I have to say that very, very cautiously because it's still high, Omicron, and there's so many people are getting COVID-19 and it's all Omicron.”
Muhajarine says the decrease also coincides with the rollout of second booster doses for people aged 50 and over.
“A lot of people are lining up and a lot of people are making appointments and bookings and getting their second booster dose,” he said.
“It'd be nice to see another week, another two weeks of continuing decrease of this viral load viral material in the wastewater and that will give us more confidence that we are really seeing that trend.”
In its most recent weekly Covid-19 report, the province says other respiratory viruses have higher test positivity in Saskatchewan than COVID-19, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with 14 per cent test positivity, influenza at 12 per cent, and enterorhinovirus at 11 per cent.
Muhajarine says he would expect to see other respiratory viruses present in the winter rather than spring and summer.
Also concerning to Muhajarine is long COVID.
“Some large studies have found up to 30 to 33 per cent of people who are initially infected still have persistent symptoms and signs, persistent organ effect, effects in the brain, gut, lung, heart, all these organ systems, effected long after that initial infection,” he said.
“We don't know everything we need to know about long COVID either, so I really think that people who are hesitant into getting a booster dose, first or second, you really should be getting that because that's actually how you keep long COVID at bay.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for "all parties" to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Taylor Swift drops 15 new songs on double album, 'The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology'
On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album and at 2 a.m. Eastern, she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," featuring 15 additional songs.
Israel gave U.S. last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says at G7
The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received 'last minute' information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, but didn't participate in the apparent attack, officials said.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.