The researchers monitoring the COVID-19 virus in wastewater say it is essentially still 100 per cent Omicron BA-2 and the results indicate essentially no change in the number of infected persons in the three cities where COVID-19 is measured in wastewater. As well the number of infected individuals is considered small and among the least that has been measured in the last 20 weeks.

For Saskatoon the viral load is down 26 per cent, In Prince Albert it is up 49.9 per cent and in North Battleford the amount of COVID-19 in wastewater is down 53.6 per cent.

They say the reduction in viral RNA load is indicative of a decrease in SARS-CoV-2 infections in Saskatoon, which – in a partially vaccinated population – may or may not be reflected by new case numbers in upcoming weeks.

Despite the increase noted for Prince Albert, it is smaller compared to the viral load recorded on May 20th, confirming that the viral load is low in Prince Albert.

For North Battleford this week’s viral load is the fifth smallest load recorded since the beginning of the Omicron wave in the community. Values for all three communities were based on averages of three individual daily measurements. Saskatoon numbers were generated in the week up to June 1, Prince Albert for the week up to May 30 and North Battleford for the week up to May 27.