Wastewater tests showing high levels of COVID and flu circulating in Waterloo region

When the pandemic started, the province was testing the population and updating the number of COVID cases daily.

But four years on, testing has stalled and the main way to get a snapshot of the COVID picture is through wastewater.

Mark Servos is with the department of Biology in Canada and Research Chair in Water Quality Protection at the University of Waterloo.

He said the levels of the virus found in the water are approaching peak Omicron levels, similar to what they were two years ago.

Besides COVID, Servos said they've also been running tests for flu and RSV.

"There is quite a dramatic increase in influenza in the last couple of weeks and RSV has been elevated for a few weeks as well," Servos said.

"We are getting into a situation now where [COVID] is high and prevalent, but we have some immunity. Influenza is starting to creep into our community and RSV. So we're going to have all three of these respiratory viruses all impacting us all at the same time."

Servos' crew tests at wastewater plants in Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge, and other spots in Toronto.

The results are reported every week to the local public health authorities.

Getting your vaccines

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, a pediatrician and the Medical Officer of Health and CEO of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, explained why it's important to get your flu shot this year.

"We're expecting the flu to rise and peak around Christmas time and stay high for the first couple of weeks into January, which is a typical pattern. So it's not as bad as last year, but we are expecting a flu season," Roumeliotis said.

He said they are also seeing a rise in COVID cases as well.

"Both of these illnesses [COVID and the flu] are vaccine preventable," said Roumeliotis.

"This is why my colleagues across the province are calling for people to go and get their flu shot and their COVID shot because... we're going to be able to blunt any sudden surge or any simultaneous surge of these viruses."