Greater Sudbury COVID-19 wastewater data available on city website

Greater Sudbury residents can now visit the city's website to view the latest COVID-19 wastewater data for the municipality.

Researchers like Gustavo Ybazeta, with the Health Sciences North Research Institute, have been taking samples throughout the pandemic from the Kelly Lake Wastewater treatment plant. Now their results are available online for anyone to see.

On Dec. 31, 2021 Ontario restricted COVID-19 PCR testing to high-risk individuals.

Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, medical officer of health for the Sudbury-Manitoulin districts, said at the time the change meant only the "tip of the iceberg" would be reported with regards to positive COVID-19 results.

Ybazeta said the samples he and his colleagues have collected represent 96,000 people in Greater Sudbury.

He said making that data public could help people make more informed decisions around their own health and safety.

"I think if you have information, you probably would change your behaviour. You will react differently, you will probably start paying more attention if you decide to wear a mask one day or not," he said.

Expected increase in cases

Ybazeta said the city's latest wastewater data shows a slow increase in positive cases over the seven-day rolling average.

The findings line up with the March 17 update from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, which said hospital occupancy due to COVID-19 infections will likely increase in the next few weeks.

"Given the relaxation of public health measures and consequent increase in transmission, hospital and ICU occupancy will likely increase over the next few weeks, but less than in January 2022 and for a limited period of time if changes in behaviour are only moderate," the update said.

At Sudbury's Health Sciences North hospital there were 30 admitted COVID-19 patients as of March 22, and one patient admitted in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU).

On the same day the hospital had 70 past positive patients, still recovering from COVID-19, with two of those individuals in the ICU.