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A research team at the University of Saskatchewan says it’s expecting cases of COVID-19 to remain stable in Saskatoon over the holidays.
Toxicologist Markus Brinkmann heads up the study that has been analyzing traces of the virus at the city’s wastewater treatment plant to determine how much COVID is circulating in the community. The team then uses that data to predict case trends.
Brinkmann said the latest data shows cases levelling off.
“We’re hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “We do not expect to see another surge in cases in the next couple of weeks. We do think cases will continue to decrease in Saskatoon.”
Saskatoon and area recorded 38 news cases on Wednesday, one of the lowest single-day totals in weeks.
Brinkmann’s team correctly predicted a surge in cases just over a month ago.
“We were forecasting about 100 to 150 new cases each day in Saskatoon and that’s almost exactly what happened,” he said. “We saw those numbers climbing so we really could give a headstart to both public health decision-makers and also the residents of the city.”
The study has enough funding to continue early into the new year. Brinkmann said the team is looking at various options to keep the project going longer.
