COVID-19: Wastewater analysis showed an increase in cases

Analysis of wastewater from four major cities reveals an increase in cases according to an expert from the National Institute of Public Health in Quebec (INSPQ).

• Read also: INSPQ says wastewater analysis is ‘useful’ for monitoring the evolution of COVID-19

• Read also: No more COVID analysis in wastewater

• Read also: Test to detect UK variant in wastewater

“We’ve seen a certain discrepancy in the past few weeks with a spike in May, an upward trend in May which, however, tends to decline,” said Dr.

“We will have to see in the next few days how it will develop,” she added.

Since February 24, the Department of Health and Social Services has given INSPQ a mandate to design a surveillance program to detect COVID-19 in wastewater.

“It is an interesting indicator, complementary to what we already have, adding to the portfolio that we have had to monitor the epidemic. With the reduced availability of clinical tests, this test gives us information on people who are asymptomatic who might be affected, who cannot be tested, or who They won’t be interested,” Dr. Huot details.

The level of immunity, variants or vaccination makes it difficult to compare the results with other periods of the epidemic, but according to the expert, the virus will continue to spread.

The lifting of hygiene measures such as wearing masks coincides with the marked increase in results

INSPQ will continue to conduct these analyzes until the end of March 2023. At the moment, wastewater is only analyzed from Laval, Montreal, Quebec and Gatineau, but as of this fall 15 cities should be monitored, the expert announced.

The data will be available on the INSPQ website each week.

“We hope that this will be able to give us a time advantage, and early detection that is currently being validated. We are developing this in hopes of using this technology for other viruses, and other bacteria,” the doctor said.