Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

viral load

COVID-19 surged in Fredericton over holidays, new wastewater data reveals

COVID-19 surged in Fredericton over holidays, new wastewater data reveals

Fredericton had a surge of COVID-19 just after the holidays, newly released wastewater data indicates. The capital was added to the Public Health Agency of Canada's COVID-19 wastewater surveillance dashboard Tuesday night, joining Moncton as the second New Brunswick location on the national website launched nine months ago. Data dating back to Dec. 22 shows Fredericton's seven-day rolling average of viral load, expressed as the number of viral gene copies found in a millilitre of raw sewage, started out at 17 copies/ml.

COVID-19 levels in Saskatoon highest in recent weeks, according to wastewater study

COVID-19 levels in Saskatoon highest in recent weeks, according to wastewater study

Saskatoon is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 levels according to the most recent results from a study that tracks the virus in the city's wastewater. The University of Saskatchewan's Global Water Futures Program has been tracking the virus in Prince Albert, North Battleford and Saskatoon via samples taken from wastewater since summer 2020. Saskatoon's viral load has increased by 85.8 per cent from last week's report and is the highest it has been in the past month, according to the study.

COVID-19 levels in wastewater down in Saskatoon, P.A. and North Battleford

COVID-19 levels in wastewater down in Saskatoon, P.A. and North Battleford

COVID-19 levels in wastewater are dropping in three Saskatchewan cities, according to University of Saskatchewan researchers who have been tracking the viral load in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford. In Saskatoon, viral levels in wastewater have dipped 14.9 per cent from the previous week. This comes after a massive spike of 460 per cent the week before that.

Severe spike in COVID-19 detected in Saskatoon wastewater

Severe spike in COVID-19 detected in Saskatoon wastewater

The COVID-19 viral load in Saskatoon's wastewater spiked by more than 400 per cent in one week, according to research from the University of Saskatchewan. Researchers from the university's Global Water Futures program have been analyzing wastewater samples from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for COVID-19 since summer 2020. The results can predict a rise or fall of COVID-19 diagnoses about a week in advance. Researchers say most people start shedding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, within 24 hours of being infected.

Evidence of COVID-19 in wastewater continues to drop in Saskatoon, Prince Albert

Evidence of COVID-19 in wastewater continues to drop in Saskatoon, Prince Albert

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan say levels of COVID-19 have continued to decline in wastewater in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and North Battleford. On Monday, researchers with the university's Global Water Futures program released their weekly wastewater report. Sewage samples are taken from water treatment plants and tested for levels of COVID-19. The results can be used to determine whether case numbers are expected to rise or fall in the short term future.

COVID-19 levels decline in Saskatoon and Prince Albert wastewater samples

COVID-19 levels decline in Saskatoon and Prince Albert wastewater samples

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan say levels of COVID-19 were down in Prince Albert and Saskatoon in the latest tests of wastewater samples. Researchers with the university's Global Water Futures program have been analyzing wastewater samples from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for COVID-19 since summer 2020. The study's results can help predict a rise or fall of COVID-19 diagnoses about a week in advance. The latest samples show the week-over-week SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA load in Saskatoon's wastewater decreased by 36.2 per cent.

Wastewater study indicates COVID-19 levels low in Sask. despite small regional upticks

Wastewater study indicates COVID-19 levels low in Sask. despite small regional upticks

The ongoing study of wastewater in an effort to track the prevalence of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan's larger communities has recorded among some of the lowest levels of viral load since January, according to the researchers behind it. The Global Institute for Water Security has been regularly testing wastewater samples in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford. The viral loads in each city are based on an average of three measurements over the week and measure the number of particles, in the tens of thousands, in 100 mL of sewage. The result provides insight into how much virus that causes COVID-19 is in a community — often a cautionary report before a more tangible rise in case numbers and hospitalizations.

Saskatoon COVID-19 levels see increase in latest wastewater study

Saskatoon COVID-19 levels see increase in latest wastewater study

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan say COVID-19 levels in Saskatoon have increased again, signalling that the sixth wave is not over yet. On Monday, head researcher and toxicologist John Giesy released this week's COVID numbers, showing a 44 per cent increase from the previous week. "[This confirms] that the viral load is large in Saskatoon, with the second greatest amount ever observed and approximately the same amount as it was a month before," wrote Giesy.

Wastewater shows coronavirus viral load down in Saskatoon and North Battleford, up in Prince Albert and Regina

Wastewater shows coronavirus viral load down in Saskatoon and North Battleford, up in Prince Albert and Regina

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have published the latest coronavirus wastewater data, showing a downward trend in Saskatoon and North Battleford, but also a jump of viral load in the Prince Albert wastewater. Scientists from the university's Global Institute for Water Security continue to monitor wastewater from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) load of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Viral load down in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford wastewater

Viral load down in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford wastewater

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have published the latest wastewater data, revealing a drop of viral load in the wastewater of several Saskatchewan cities. Scientists from the university's Global Institute for Water Security continue to monitor wastewater from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for the viral RNA load of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

COVID-19 wastewater study shows decrease in Sask. cities

COVID-19 wastewater study shows decrease in Sask. cities

New data from studies at the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan show evidence of COVID-19 decreasing in several cities. In a study released on Monday by the Global Institute for Water Security at the U of S, viral load in three cities (Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford) has started to decrease after a sharp rise earlier this month. Another study at the U of R also showed levels were dropping in that city.

Wastewater samples can be useful tool as COVID-19 testing declines in Canada

Wastewater samples can be useful tool as COVID-19 testing declines in Canada

With some jurisdictions limiting PCR testing for COVID-19 and others increasingly overwhelmed by diagnostic demands, experts have stressed that daily case counts no longer paint the full picture of viral levels within communities. But what we flush down the toilet may give us a better understanding of COVID-19's prevalence. Researchers across the country have been undertaking wastewater surveillance since early in the pandemic, looking for trace amounts of the virus in sewage to see how it's spreading.

Wastewater samples in Saskatoon show massive increase in the Omicron variant

Wastewater samples in Saskatoon show massive increase in the Omicron variant

Wastewater samples in Saskatoon are seeing a major increase in the Omicron variant since it was detected for the first time in the city last Tuesday. The latest samples tested by the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) at the University of Saskatchewan show Omicron constitutes 64.1 per cent the overall COVID-19 viral load in the Saskatoon sample. It is an increase of 808.2 per cent since the variant was first detected in Saskatoon wastewater on Dec. 21. The viral load in Saskatoon's wastewater has increased by 87.7 per cent since then.

Sask. wastewater analysis sees COVID-19 trend downward in two cities

Sask. wastewater analysis sees COVID-19 trend downward in two cities

Two of the three cities being monitored by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have shown a drop in the amount of the virus that causes COVID-19 in sewage samples taken during the latest testing period. On Monday, the Global Institute for Water Security's report show a decrease of 79 per cent in viral RNA in North Battleford's wastewater when compared to the previous reporting period. The amount of delta variant found in the wastewater has also decreased by 47 per cent from the previous reporting period.

Wastewater studies show COVID-19 decrease in Saskatoon, increases in Regina, Prince Albert

Wastewater studies show COVID-19 decrease in Saskatoon, increases in Regina, Prince Albert

The latest study of Saskatoon's wastewater has noted a drop in coronavirus particles, which could mean a reduction in new cases. Meanwhile similar studies in other cities in the province saw increases. On Monday, the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan released its weekly report on wastewater taken from three cities: Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert. In Saskatoon, researchers found a 16 per cent week-over-week decrease in viral RNA taken from sewage samples from the city's wastewater plant for the period ending Sept. 29.

COVID-19 viral load continues to surge in latest wastewater analysis for Saskatoon, North Battleford

COVID-19 viral load continues to surge in latest wastewater analysis for Saskatoon, North Battleford

Evidence of COVID-19 continues to show up in the wastewater of Saskatchewan cities being studied by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. On Tuesday, the Global Institute for Water Security said it had found a spike in viral RNA in samples taken from Saskatoon and North Battleford's wastewater treatment plants. The study showed a 127 per cent increase in viral load in Saskatoon week over week and a 560 per cent increase in North Battleford. Meanwhile, Prince Albert's showed a 50 per cent week-over-week decrease in viral load in its samples.

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