Dr. Summers recommends PCR tests vs. rapid tests, as COVID-19 cases rise in Western residence
Quick and easy - that’s what usually comes to mind when people think of rapid testing.
According to Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are good for diagnosing COVID-19 for individuals who are a high-risk contact or are experiencing symptoms. While the antigen rapid tests are often used for fast results, surveillance, and screening purposes.
Results for PCR tests typically come back anywhere between 24 hours to five days depending on a lab’s capacity, while rapid tests provide results within 15 minutes.
While the rapid tests may be helpful in some cases, Evans says they’re not always reliable.
“I can use it in a setting where it’s very unlikely that you have an infection, and if so, a negative test is reliable,” says Dr. Evans. “But once you start having symptoms, that rapid antigen test becomes a little bit less useful because a negative test might be falsely negative.”
Evans recommends people with symptoms book a PCR test, as a negative result from the laboratory will be able to determine that the patient has a different virus or has symptoms from another cause.A sign for the Merlin House residence at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. is seen Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. (Jim Knight / CTV News)“If you have a cough, a sore throat, and a runny nose and you do that rapid antigen test and it’s negative, that’s a problem because you might still have COVID. There’s probably still a 15 per cent chance that you do, so you might think I have a cold but it’s not COVID so I’m not going to worry about whom I’m coming into contact with.”
Western University provides rapid antigen tests for those with an exemption to their vaccination policy. On Saturday, Western University declared an outbreak at the Saugeen-Maitland Hall on campus.
Last week a student at the first-year residence who contracted COVID-19 used a rapid test to help determine their symptoms. According to London’s Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers, as of Monday, there are eight cases linked to the outbreak at the Saugeen residence.
According to one of the university’s media representatives, all students on floors affected by the outbreak are being tested.
“I think the next few days will be critical for us to fully understand how many cases we will see,” said Summers during an interview with CTV News on Sunday.
As of Monday, Fanshawe College is also experiencing an outbreak including three people at the Merlin House residence.
For the most accurate results when it comes to testing for COVID-19, Summers recommends students and all members of the community visit a testing centre if they develop any related symptoms.
“Don’t just shrug it off as it’s a common cold, get tested and isolate and that’s what we want people to do.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.