Why increasing access to rapid COVID-19 tests may help stop spread, according to Calgary doctor

As Alberta's COVID-19 cases are rising, at-home rapid COVID-19 tests could make a differencethis fall if access were easier for the average person, says a Calgary doctor.

Dr. Raj Bhardwaj, CBC Calgary's resident medical expert as well as an urgent care doctor, explained the pros and cons of these tests on the Calgary Eyeopener on Tuesday.

Right now, the devices are more commonly used in many workplaces, but are also being used forbigevents around the globe like concerts and football games.

TheRapid Testing Program, the federal initiative behind giving out these tests,launched May 18 so business were able to get their hands on some for their employees this summer.

And according to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, 154 local companies initially signed up; however, it is unclear if all are still using the service.

• Millions of rapid COVID-19 tests still unused, according to federal data

The chamber says it is on track to give out 6,000 tests to companies by the end of this week.

"We see rapid tests as being another tool for businesses to keep their employees, customers, clients and patrons safe. Since restrictions were lifted in July, we have seen an increase in the number of companies signing up for the program, and we expect this to continue through the fall as businesses welcome employees back into their offices and more in-person events take place," wrote Deborah Yedlin, president andCEO at the Calgary chamber.

ButBhardwajsays what would be helpful is if the tests were more accessible for Albertans.

How rapid tests for COVID-19 could be a game changer in this pandemic

3 years ago

Duration 4:56

Dr. Raj breaks down all the COVID-19 tests, and why there could be some hope on the horizon as more places start implementing rapid tests.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Question: First off, what rapid COVID tests are we talking about?

Answer: I'm talking about the home testing kits, sort of like a home pregnancy test.

They're Health Canada approved. There's a list of the approved ones on the Health Canada website. And, you know, they're easier and faster than putting together an Ikea cabinet.

They give you results in minutes rather than hours or days. And they're simple. Usually just a shallow swab up your nose, not like really deep into your nose.

When it comes to making decisions based on COVID tests, the ease and the speed of the results can actually make a big difference.

Q: How do they compare to the tests that you do in the hospital, or at testing sites?

A: They're not as accurate or as sensitive, but that doesn't mean that they're not useful in certain circumstances.

They're used at workplaces like, for example, before people go up to to work in a camp at the oilsands.

They're used in rural and remote communities where test results can be delayed because of the travel time and because they don't have labs to do the fancy tests there.

In some places, they're being used at conferences and concerts and stuff like that as a screening tool.

However, they're more accurate on people with symptoms. If overall case numbers for COVIDin an area are really low, for example, then these tests aren't as useful because the likelihood of getting a false positive result goes up.

But, in Alberta right now, that's not a problem that we're going to have to deal with, unfortunately, as our case numbers are going up.

Q: What would be the benefit of havinggreater access to rapid tests?

A:They're not the single solution to COVIDin 2021, but they are a tool to make things incrementally safer.

It makes sense that if there's a crowded environment, you know, like a school or like a hospital or something, that if we test all the people coming into that place, we're going to catch a bunch of people who are actually contagious with COVID.

I think it's going to be really useful, especially in the fall and winter, as cold viruses start to re-emerge and then overlap their symptoms with COVIDsymptoms.

Q: What's the picture like when it comes to the use of rapid testing in other countries?

A:Alot of places in Europe are using them. So, you know, I've heard in the U.K., Ireland andGermany that thegovernments are just giving people rapid tests for free.

The National Health Service (NHS) in the U.K. says that people should get used to testing themselves a couple of times a week. And then they have an app where people can report the results as well to theNHS.

In the States, you can go to pretty much any pharmacy and buy them. They're about two for 25 bucks, you know, just like a home pregnancy test.

Q: What about here in Canada? Who can get rapid tests, and how do they do that?

A:So in some provinces, you can get them quite easily as an individual.

The Toronto school system is actually going to start sending rapid tests out to students to be used, you know, for screening.

In other places, like in Alberta, it's quite difficult to get them. You can buy them online, but they're not cheap.

But companies can get them and institutions can get them for free. So they were bought by the federal government and then supplied to the provinces.

To get them from the province, you have to go on to the website andfill out arelatively onerous form, saying, you know, this is our COVID strategy at our company and this is why we want them and how we're going to use them.

They'll send them to you for free, but I feel like if we made them easier to get, then people would use them.

And by people using them, then we would eliminate some people, at least, who might be out there in the world spreading COVID.

With files from theCalgary Eyeopener.