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after slow start, covid rapid tests are in 'every corner' of saskatchewan
"the more often we do these tests, the sooner we can pick this up and reduce the risk of weeks and weeks of isolation of staff."
may 24 2021
3 minute read
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by: zak vescera
saskatchewan is opening the floodgates on covid-19 rapid tests, anticipating the quick screening tools may become routine even as vaccination efforts pick up steam.
carrie dornstauder, acting testing chief with the saskatchewan health authority, said nearly 700 community-based organizations, pharmacies and businesses have applied for supplies of rapid antigen tests, which can yield results in as little as 15 minutes.
“essentially, the antigen test is here in the province. it’s in every sector of our province, from high-risk (settings) to business, and every part of the province geographically,” dornstauder said in an interview.
use of the tests was previously encumbered by regulations around who can administer them, but the government has trimmed regulation so that anyone can do so.
an order in council signed last week also removed a stipulation that the sha have an agreement with agency operators before testing could be performed, which dornstauder said was welcomed by interested businesses.
“really this been deregulated to the point where if you have it in your hand and can safely follow the instructions, we’re going to trust that people are going to do the right thing and report their results through 811 appropriately,” dornstauder said.
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the federal government bought millions of such tests in the fall, but provinces were originally slow to use them, even as business groups like the saskatchewan chamber of commerce clamoured for them to become available to smaller firms that couldn’t afford to pay for the tests on their own.
in recent months, the sha has gradually been expanding their use as a screening tool in acute care facilities and high-risk settings like shelters and prisons.
the antigen test works by detecting a protein affiliated with covid-19 and is less specific and sensitive than the type of test used at sha testing centres, meaning it can’t be used as a diagnostic tool. dornstauder said such tests are “really darn good” at identifying people who may be infected but are asymptomatic, potentially helping avoid broader outbreaks in the community and preventing costly closures for businesses and other agencies.
“the more often we do these tests, the sooner we can pick this up and reduce the risk of weeks and weeks of isolation of staff,” she said.
dornstauder estimated that saskatchewan has received 1.15 million rapid tests to date, with another 500,000 on the way from the federal government. she does not anticipate supply to be an issue, saying the province is in regular communication with federal and provincial partners about how many are needed.
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she anticipates such tests may become common enough that they can be picked up at a local pharmacy, she said.
“testing will still be a major part of the way we live and society moving forward, even after this first round of vaccine … it’s here to stay for a while, and it needs to be a part of our everyday lifestyle and not something we fear.”
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