As more infectious COVID-19 variants take hold in Ontario, scientists are looking at wastewater testing in Ottawa to keep track of variants like B.1.617, which was first identified in India and also known as Delta. This second test, called metagenomic sequencing, would monitor wastewater and identify all COVID-19 variants present in a mixed sample. Graber said this metagenomic sequencing is what scientists are now analyzing for more data on the presence of variants in Ottawa. The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table estimates that about 27 per cent of new cases are linked to the Delta variant. Evidence suggests that one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was found to be less effective against the Delta variant, compared with two doses.

Source: CBC News June 08, 2021 15:56 UTC