"Toronto Public Health is developing a wastewater surveillance program to detect any potential spread of diseases during the FIFA World Cup. Toronto's new Medical Officer of Health Dr. Michelle Murti said the pilot will collect sewage samples in areas where fans congregate and test them for infections such as COVID-19, influenza and RSV. Murti said the public health unit is looking into whether other illnesses, such as measles, could also be monitored in wastewater given the large international audience expected next summer."
"'It'll just be one more piece of information that we have as part of a larger suite of information that we're looking at to make sure that we're keeping people safe and healthy through the games,' Murti said. The city has said it expects 300,000 out-of-town visitors in Toronto over the course of six World Cup matches starting in June. Ontario's COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program, which provided a close to real-time way to track the prevalence of the virus before people showed symptoms during the pandemic, ended last year."
Toronto Public Health will pilot a wastewater surveillance program during the FIFA World Cup to detect potential disease spread in areas where fans gather. The pilot will collect sewage samples and test for COVID-19, influenza and RSV, with additional exploration of monitoring measles given the large international audience. The surveillance will supplement other information sources to protect public health during the games. The city expects about 300,000 out-of-town visitors across six matches. Ontario's provincial COVID-19 wastewater monitoring program ended last year, creating a gap that this pilot aims to help address.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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