COVID wastewater uptick in B.C. no cause for alarm, says provincial health officer – CBC

BCCDC data shows steady increase in viral load in March at numerous test sites

Mar 30, 2023

As data suggests cases of COVID-19 are rising in British Columbia, the province’s top doctor says the situation is under control, even as some critics are calling on the province to do more.

According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), wastewater testing shows a steady increase in viral load across the province in March.

The BCCDC says it began using a most sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater on Feb. 28 “affecting comparisons before and after that date.”

Dr. Lyne Filiatrault, a retired emergency physician who speaks for Protect Our Province B.C., a group of health-care professionals, scientists and advocates who say they want evidence-based policies, says if you look at data after that date, the amount of virus in wastewater has increased in many if not all regions.

“I’m hearing of more cases of COVID happening now, and my colleagues that are still practising are also seeing more cases right now,” said Filiatrault.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-spring-uptick-1.6796026