(image credit - CP)

By Michael Reeve

RAPID TESTS

Interior Health no longer utilizing rapid COVID-19 tests for clinical decisions

Jan 9, 2024 | 2:25 PM

KAMLOOPS — With flu season at its peak across British Columbia, Interior Health is clarifying its procedures around COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT).

“Rapid antigen tests detect infections in more than 70-to-80 per cent of patients with COVID-19 and are a great tool within the community to help inform members of the public if they could be infected with COVID-19 to help them prevent spread of the virus to others,” stated Amanda Wilmer, Medical Director, Microbiology and Genomics with Interior Health. “However, RAT is unable to test for other common respiratory viruses such as influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which are also circulating, so regardless of RAT results, it’s important to use respiratory hygiene measures and stay home until you feel well enough to participate in regular day-to-day activities.”

With increased cases of RSV and influenza, including the deaths of three children due to complications steming from the flu and other viruses, the health authority will be instead using PCR tests.

“In healthcare settings, critical treatment and infection control decisions are made based on results, and since more accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing which can also detect influenza and RSV is readily available, RAT is not the preferred test,” added Wilmer. “Moving forward, RAT will no longer be used for clinical decision-making in our healthcare facilities which is a change supported across the province to ensure all clinical care and infection prevention and control decisions are based on the most accurate information to maintain patient safety.”

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While hospitals will no longer be relying on the RAT, they are still encouraging people to use them at home.

“RAT still has a role in diagnosing COVID-19 in members of the public and is a valuable tool if positive, but it does not rule out respiratory viral illness if negative, especially since it doesn’t test for other respiratory viruses like Influenza or RSV. That is why PCR testing is required in the more crucial healthcare setting,” said Wilmer.