CityNews in Canada shows that some have been deterred from daytrips to the USA because of pricey COVID tests. @RiaRenouf has more from a travel blogger from Quebec who says he hasn’t paid a cent to get tested on the way home to Canada.
COVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples to assess the current or past presence of SARS-CoV-2. The 2 main branches detect either the presence of the virus or of antibodies produced in response to infection. Molecular tests for viral presence through its molecular components are used to diagnose individual cases and to allow public health authorities to trace and contain outbreaks. Antibody tests (serology immunoassays) instead show whether someone once had the disease. They are less useful for diagnosing current infections because antibodies may not develop for weeks after infection. It is used to assess disease prevalence, which aids the so-called estimation of the infection fatality rate.
Individual jurisdictions have adopted varied testing protocols, including whom to test, how often to test, analysis protocols, sample collection and the certain uses of test results. This variation has likely significantly impacted reported statistics, including case and test numbers, case fatality rates and case demographics. Because so-called SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs days after exposure (and before onset of symptoms) there is an urgent need for frequent surveillance and rapid availability of results. Non-symptomatic people can infect others.
Important test analysis is often performed in automated, high-throughput, medical laboratories by medical laboratory scientists. Alternatively, point-of-care testing can be done in physician's offices and parking lots, workplaces, institutional settings or so-called transit hubs.
Keep in mind, the Government of Canada, some provincial/territorial governments and distribution partners are providing free rapid COVID-19 tests to organizations. These tests are to be used for regular workplace screening of employees.
ReplyDeleteBusinesses and not-for-profit organizations are really eligible to apply.