Sask. wastewater researchers begin search for omicron variant

As countries around the world brace themselves for the arrival of the omicron variant of COVID-19, research teams in Saskatchewan are working on testing for the newly discovered strain in the province.

For the past two weeks, researchers at the University of Regina have been searching for traces of omicron in the city's wastewater, with the help of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. The laboratory has been providing sequencing data for the team to identify any samples with the variant in it.

So far, all test results in Regina have been negative.

At the University of Saskatchewan, the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) is preparing to begin testing for the newly discovered variant, which is expected to start sometime this week.

For more than a year, the institute has been using wastewater samples taken from treatment plants in Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert, and testing them for COVID-19. The samples are used to predict cases of the virus in the future and whether they're expected to increase or decrease.

"Once a different variant is detected, we need to have genetic markers that are specific to it," said Kerry McPhedran, an associate professor of environmental engineering with the institute.

"Basically, what the test does is it finds those markers and it amplifies them, so we need to have something that can search out that marker and look for it."

The omicron variant, which was first discovered in South Africa late last month, remains a large question mark for researchers.

Specialists from around the world are studying how easily it spreads from person to person, as well as its ease of transmission and the effects it has on infected people.

McPhedran said it's difficult to know what omicron will look like in Saskatchewan.

"We can only guess what the actual impacts will be," he said. "You see a lot of, you know: 'Will the vaccinations work or not?' in the media. We're at the same stage because we can only guess what the impacts will be." 

So far, there have been five cases of the omicron variant reported in Saskatchewan. One new case was reported on Monday, while four other cases were contained to one family who had recently travelled to an African country that had been flagged as a risk for omicron transmission.

COVID-19 levels spike in Saskatoon, levels remain low

The latest information from the GIWS wastewater survey seems to show low levels of COVID-19 across Saskatchewan, the institute said.

In its last report, the GIWS saw a 619 per cent increase in evidence of COVID-19 in Saskatoon, an 899 per cent increase in Prince Albert and a 100 per cent increase in North Battleford.

However, the report stressed that those increases appear disproportionately large, due to very low levels recorded in the previous week.

The University of Regina's study also showed viral levels of the disease had decreased.

However, McPhedran pointed out that cases in Ontario and Quebec are trending upwards right now, and said the same thing could happen in Saskatchewan.

"It's estimated that it's going to go back up, and that's just because winter is coming and we get together inside more frequently," he explained. "As far as predicting beyond that, we need to look at the wastewater and see what that tells us."