Wastewater monitoring shows COVID-19 uptick in Haines Junction, Yukon

Residents of Haines Junction, Yukon, have had an early warning system to track COVID-19 and other pathogens for almost a year — and it's showing an uptick in COVID-19 this fall. 

Wastewater samples are collected three times a week at the sewage lift station and are tested for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza — which can be detected in feces. 

The wastewater surveillance program is a partnership involving the Public Health Agency of Canada, Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN), the Village of Haines Junction and One Yukon Coalition.

The pilot project started back in February 2022, and the first samples were taken in June of that year. 

Kari Johnston is the owner of Rafter 14 Strategies, who does contract work for CAFN and has helped the First Nation with its pandemic response. She says the program was the first of its kind in the Yukon and that it's an important tool. 

This fall, she said, it's also showing an increase in COVID-19 in Haines Junction. 

"We have no idea who has COVID, or who has influenza but it gives us a real good sense of how much might be present in the community. And then community members can take that data and make decisions on their own health on what the risk might be," said Johnston.

How it works

Johnston said wastewater samples are brought to a mini-lab where small amounts of it are run through a centrifuge and a device that does a high-level analysis of what it contains. 

Then, the samples are sent to the National Microbiology Lab, to get a better picture of what the data means. 

Yukon's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade says wastewater tests mirror clinical trends.  

"As you start to see tests becoming more positively reported you also see this uptick in waste water data," he said. .

Ranade says there could be wastewater testing in Whitehorse too, once more research has been done. 

Johnston says the most important part of the pilot project is that it'll make the community more resilient in case of future pandemics. By having the testing program already in place, health professionals can better understand risk and community health.