COVID-19: Virus detected in wastewater jumps more than 100% in Prince Albert

The amount of COVID-19 present in Prince Albert’s wastewater has more than doubled.

The latest findings from the University of Saskatchewan monitoring team show the amount of virus RNA jumped up 112.7 per cent over the previous reporting period.

USask toxicologist John Giesy told Global News “100 per cent is a doubling.”

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“It sounds like a lot, but it’s about typical for what we see when we’re on the upward swing in one of these waves. So that seems to be increasing at this point in time.”

The amount of virus RNA increased 60.1 per cent in North Battleford, while it decreased 35.5 per cent in Saskatoon.

All or nearly all the detected virus is BA.2, the more transmissible Omicron subvariant.

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In Saskatoon, BA.2 accounts for 100 per cent of the detected virus, in North Battleford it’s 97.8 per cent and in Prince Albert, the latest variant accounts for 80.6.

Giesy also said they may – and he stressed “may”— have spotted trace amounts of what could be a new “X” lineage.

“These X variants are various versions of a recombination of the Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.2. They seem to somehow have fused back together,” he said.

“We’ve seen some evidence that looks like it might be here, but I’m not willing to say it’s here for sure. If it is here for sure, then I will develop a targeted assay to watch for it,” he said.

Giesy told Global News researchers will continue to examine the samples for developments.