Wastewater testing shows B.C.’s latest Omicron wave may have peaked

By Victoria Mann

British Columbia’s most recent Omicron-driven COVID wave has likely reached its highest point, according to data from the BC COVID-19 Data Modelling group.

The report was released by the independent group on Wednesday, and combined data from wastewater testing and reported cases among British Columbians aged 70+ and hospitalization data.

The researchers say that while hospital admissions and data are reported weekly in B.C., there are still major data lags.

Data is also initially “substantially underreported”, before being revised in the following weeks.

“As official COVID-19 data in BC becomes less available we consider alternative data sources to measure the impact of the pandemic in BC,” the report states. 

The data, in particular that from the wastewater testing, suggests the current wave appears to have peaked, or is near its peak, in B.C. and across Canada. Over 98 per cent of cases in the most recent COVID-19 wave are from the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA.2.

“Clear trends in wastewater signals are difficult to discern, the data are consistent with several explanations, including that the second Omicron wave may have peaked,” the report adds.


Related Articles:

The wastewater testing is being conducted by Metro Vancouver in conjunction with B.C. Centre for Disease Control and the University of British Columbia, and tracks the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the region.

“Untreated wastewater is sampled and tested for the virus three times a week,” according to Metro Vancouver’s website. Testing wastewater can tell us if the SARS-CoV-2 is present and how it might be changing over time.

This form of testing cannot tell us the exact number of people who are infected or contagious, but can help health authorities evaluate the effectiveness of the protective measures in place.

The second Omicron wave appears to be peaking at a lower level than the previous wave in early 2022, but hospitalizations and estimated cases are still higher than in any wave prior to the introduction of the Omicron variant.

The report also suggests that, according to data from the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, around 40 per cent of people in B.C. have been infected with Omicron.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today