By Canadian Press

Quebec begins releasing data on COVID-19 levels in wastewater

Jun 22, 2022 | 2:24 PM

MONTREAL — Quebec’s Health Department has begun releasing data on the presence of COVID-19 in wastewater.

The government says the data can provide early warning of new pandemic waves or the emergence of new variants. 

Quebec has been screening wastewater for COVID-19 in Quebec City and the Montreal area since late March but only began releasing the data today.

The seven-day average of wastewater collections suggests a decline in the concentration of COVID-19 in wastewater in Quebec City, while in Montreal, the data suggests a stable concentration.

Dominic Frigon, a McGill University civil engineering professor who helped develop Quebec’s wastewater screening program, says the data can be useful for detecting trends but adds that COVID-19 levels in wastewater don’t directly correlate to case counts.

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Frigon says wastewater data can also be affected by other factors, such as rain, which dilutes the sewage for testing. 

The federal government has been publishing wastewater screening data — including for the Montreal area — online since early May 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022. 

The Canadian Press