Summer surge: How severe is COVID in Canada? And what should you do?

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization warned that COVID-19 infections have been surging. With COVID-19 case tracking not as easily available, how can Canadians gauge the situation for themselves?

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization warned that COVID-19 infections have been surging lately, with new waves rolling across the Americas, Europe and the western Pacific.

In Canada, cases are also on the rise, says Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist based out of Toronto General Hospital.

"We don't have the same methods or degree to detect it as we once did," Bogoch said. "But some of the metrics that we do have are showing that there certainly is more COVID around now than there was a couple of weeks ago."

With COVID-19 case tracking not as easily available, how can Canadians gauge the situation for themselves?

Wastewater surveillance is one way to see how the virus is spreading in certain regions, Bogoch said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has wastewater data on viral activity for not only COVID-19, but flu and RSV as well. Currently, the viral activity level for COVID-19 in Canada is "moderate," according to the site, with levels particularly high in Nova Scotia, Vancouver and Toronto.

Individual provinces have wastewater tracking for different cities – British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, for example.