Rapid antigen testing cannot be used 'to rule out infection'Ī negative test "does not mean you can let down your guard," said Desai. "So, if I'm grocery shopping Sunday afternoon, maybe there's an opportunity for me to book a screen at that time," he said.ĭesai added that the test results would go to the employer, and as is currently done for those participating in the pilot, anyone with a positive antigen test result would have to seek out a regular PCR test at a hospital or test centre for confirmation. If the program is deemed successful, Loblaw said it plans to offer the rapid-testing service to other small and medium-sized businesses and their employees - in a sense, outsourcing workplace COVID-19 testing.Īccording to Ashesh Desai, the executive vice-president of Pharmacy and Healthcare at Shoppers Drug Mart, employees of participating workplaces could get tested at their local Loblaw pharmacy in the near future. ![]() As part of the pilot, staff at the company's Medisystem service, which provides pharmaceutical services to seniors residences and care homes, can also stop by participating stores to get tested. Parent company Loblaw is currently offering rapid tests to employees at 20 of its pharmacy and retail locations in Ontario and Alberta. Pharmacist Sabina Kapoor is participating in a COVID-19 rapid-testing pilot program at her Shopper's Drug Mart store in Mississauga. So, I think everyone was pretty much on board for it," she said. "It brings some sort of security and comfort, I think, when we go home to our families after a shift or working the full week. With a front-line job and two children at home, Kapoor said she didn't hesitate when the store offered her regular screening for COVID-19 using rapid tests. "Results are being given to me within 15 minutes, so you can't really beat that," said Sabina Kapoor, a pharmacist at the store who is participating in the trial program. These are not currently as accurate as PCR, but require a less invasive nasal swab and deliver results much faster. Though many pharmacies are already equipped to offer PCR testing to members of the public who meet certain criteria, this new employee-focused pilot uses rapid antigen tests. As Canadians await full access to vaccines and essential workplaces continue to guard against outbreaks, the appeal of screening asymptomatic front-line staff is growing, driven partly by wider availability of the technology in Canada.Īt a busy Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy in Mississauga, employees without COVID-19 symptoms can get tested twice a week for the virus. It's a notion that has enticed numerous Canadian businesses and institutions to begin pilot programs of their own for onsite COVID-19 testing. "And making sure we take that extra level of precaution was certainly comforting."Īll the crew members aboard Clearwater Seafoods' fishing vessel Arctic Endurance were screened for COVID-19 using PCR testing before the ship recently put out to sea for a month-long voyage. "Throughout this, I think we've been really cognizant of the fact that people are leaving home to go to sea," he said. Clearwater hasn't seen any outbreaks to date, but Jabbour said asymptomatic transmission onboard a vessel would be "catastrophic," both on the business side and for employees. Onboard challenges related to physical distancing had compelled the company to put in place added COVID-19 precautions for its crews. And so getting a fairly complicated system purchase set up was a fairly big undertaking for us," he said. "We're harvesters, we're not lab technicians or medical professionals. Tony Jabbour, vice-president of Fleet Operations, admits it was a gamble. The tests are like those used in health care settings, but results come back in just a couple of hours. The company bought its highly accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits from Precision Biomonitoring last fall, putting it among the early corporate adopters of mobile COVID-19 testing technology in Canada. ![]() Their employer, Clearwater Seafoods, organized the tests. Blustery winds blew snow across the ship as it left the dock, but at least on the pandemic front, the coast was clear.Īll 35 crew members had undergone testing for COVID-19 within the previous 24 hours, and all their results were negative. On a recent weekday afternoon, a fishing vessel called the Arctic Endurance prepared to depart from Mulgrave, N.S., for a month-long clam harvesting trip.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |