Saskatchewan wastewater data affirms spiking COVID counts: USask scientist
Global News
As COVID-19 numbers spike in Saskatchewan, an ecotoxicologist believes actual cases are being underreported due to testing and contact tracing changes.
As COVID-19 numbers spike in Saskatchewan the latest wastewater data report for Saskatoon paints a similarly bleak picture. The latest wastewater data has the highest virus load recorded to date.
Saskatchewan reported 1,069 new cases on Monday, the third-highest daily total in the province since the start of the pandemic with 44.6 per cent of the new cases in people aged 20 to 39.
Active cases reached a new high of 7,750, topping the previous high of 7,418 reported on Sunday.
The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case numbers also reached a new high on Monday of 871, 72.3 cases per 100,000 people.
John Giesy says cases in the province may be higher than what the government is reporting.
An ecotoxicologist at the University of Saskatchewan, he believes this may be due to the lack of PCR follow-up testing and contact tracing.
“It would indicate that there about twice as many people ill than are showing up in the provincial numbers,” Giesy told Global News.
He said the latest waste water data for Saskatoon is the highest virus load level recorded to date.