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home / 世界杯决赛2022

future of wastewater covid-19 testing at u of s remains unclear

funding for the wastewater testing project is scheduled to run out at the end of march, but a deal could come this week on an extension.

by phil tank

feb 8 2022
read time 2 minute read
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an agreement could be struck friday to extend wastewater testing for the covid-19 virus at the university of saskatchewan.
funding for the project, which tests the level of the virus in sewage from saskatoon, prince albert and north battleford, is scheduled to run out at the end of march.
john giesy, one of the u of s researchers, said monday that he expects to talk on friday with representatives from the public health agency of canada about extending and expanding the project.
giesy said he’s also submitted a proposal at the request of the saskatchewan health authority to assume control of the project, and he believes the testing should continue.
“but we shouldn’t run it at the university,” giesy said in an interview. “we’re researchers. we’re educators. we shouldn’t be in the business of routine testing. that should be (the provincial) laboratory or a private laboratory.”
an sha spokeswoman said monday that she could not immediately confirm whether the organization has contacted the u of s researchers about assuming control of the testing program. giesy said he was contacted by the sha last week.
giesy said he’s willing to continue testing for the next six months, provided the phac is willing to fund it, but he added the u of s team lacks the resources necessary to conduct the testing efficiently.
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“and besides that, we don’t have robots,” he said. “i do it with people. we just don’t have the capacity to upgrade.”
giesy said he and his team are willing to work with whoever might take over the testing to share and transfer their technology, but he added that the testing needs to be performed more frequently — ideally every day — to prove more useful.
it’s important to keep testing, even though the omicron wave appears to have peaked, because the ba.2 variant of omicron could prolong the pandemic, he said.
the researchers originally applied to the saskatchewan ministry of health for funding, but were eventually turned down, he said. however, the same day the ministry passed on the project, the phac contacted the researchers with an offer to fund them for six months. phac then extended funding.
giesy said the research at the university could be expanded to test wastewater for opioids to measure drug use, as well as pharmaceuticals and for other diseases like influenza.
he said his team is disbanding in april. his contract at the u of s will expire and has not been renewed, so he subsequently plans to teach at baylor university in texas.

one of the key scientists and the project leader, yuwei xi, also expects to return to china, as his visa is expiring.

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ptank@postmedia.com
twitter.com/thinktanksk
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phil tank, saskatoon starphoenix
phil tank, saskatoon starphoenix
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