Sudbury-Manitoulin health unit considers posting COVID-19 wastewater data

As Ontario government criteria have changed for eligibility for PCR testing for COVID-19, Public Health Sudbury and Districts says it is looking into posting that data online.

As of Dec. 31, symptomatic testing became available for only high-risk individuals or people who work in high-risk settings, like hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, medical officer of health for the Sudbury-Manitoulin districts, said that change means reported case numbers aren't telling the whole story.

"Our numbers really are demonstrating the tip of the iceberg with regards to cases and there will be many more cases of COVID-19 in our communities."

The health unit does get data about COVID-19 in wastewater in a project involving the Health Sciences North Research Institute and Laurentian University. Some health units in the province, such as Ottawa, post the information online, but the health unit in Sudbury currently doesn't.

Burgess Hawkins, manager of health protection at the health unit in Sudbury, said with the recent testing eligibility changes, the wastewater data could play an important role with COVID-19 information.

"It does have the potential of being able to indicate trends where just given the provincial testing strategy at this time may not be picking it up because of the numbers that are being involved."

Hawkins said the information doesn't show exactly how many cases there are in an area.

"It's just a number indicating there's more COVID, there's less COVID," he said. 

"So we're trying to see if we can come up with something that we can get the information out in a way that it will be able to make sense."

Hawkins said talks are ongoing with the other partners involved on whether the data will be posted and how.

'Eyes of the system'

One of the researchers collecting the data is Gustavo Ybazeta with the Health Sciences North Research Institute.

He said the data yield good results but have limitations.

 "We need to understand that at the same time — the system is not perfect," he said. 

"We have other variables for example, precipitation, more water coming through the switch from rain or melting of the snow."

Ybazeta said despite that, the information is important to consider when looking at what's happening with COVID-19. 

"I think we are the eyes of the system," he said. 

"We understand that wastewater doesn't give you exactly the number of people who are infected but we can figure it out."