It seems there's a shortage of swabs and test materials etc. in Canada now, testing might become an issue here too.
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Why it's so difficult to get tested for COVID-19 in Canada
Canadians already anxious about symptoms are surprised to learn they might not be tested for the virus
"Test, test, test."
That's the first rule in the war against COVID-19, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).
"You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don't know who is infected," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director-general, said in a
briefing on Monday.
But right now, Canada does not know who is infected. Or how many people are infected.
And some Canadians might never know if they had COVID-19.
That's because not everyone can get a test, even if they have symptoms and think they might have the illness.
Access to testing varies across the country. In Ontario, tests are being rationed so that there will be enough for the highest priority patients, including health-care workers.
"The extremely high volume of COVID-19 tests being conducted at the Public Health Ontario Laboratory requires us to start prioritizing testing for the most vulnerable people in our health system and those who treat patients," a Public Health Ontario spokesperson told CBC News via email.
"In terms of who should not be tested, people who do not have symptoms do not require testing."
So far, nearly 66,000 Canadians have been tested, including about 17,000 in B.C., 16,650 in Ontario and 14,500 in Alberta. About 873 Canadians have tested positive, and 12 deaths have been reported.
At Toronto's Michael Garron Hospital, a new guidance document describes the latest testing protocol. Anyone who is asymptomatic will be sent home without a test and be instructed to self-isolate and monitor themselves for common cold symptoms.
Even people who have mild symptoms will not be tested unless they work in a high-risk setting such as a hospital or a long-term care facility.
"Test, test, test."
That's the first rule in the war against COVID-19, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).
"You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don't know who is infected," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director-general, said in a
briefing on Monday.
But right now, Canada does not know who is infected. Or how many people are infected.
And some Canadians might never know if they had COVID-19.
That's because not everyone can get a test, even if they have symptoms and think they might have the illness.
Access to testing varies across the country. In Ontario, tests are being rationed so that there will be enough for the highest priority patients, including health-care workers.
"The extremely high volume of COVID-19 tests being conducted at the Public Health Ontario Laboratory requires us to start prioritizing testing for the most vulnerable people in our health system and those who treat patients," a Public Health Ontario spokesperson told CBC News via email.
"In terms of who should not be tested, people who do not have symptoms do not require testing."
So far, nearly 66,000 Canadians have been tested, including about 17,000 in B.C., 16,650 in Ontario and 14,500 in Alberta. About 873 Canadians have tested positive, and 12 deaths have been reported.
At Toronto's Michael Garron Hospital, a new guidance document describes the latest testing protocol. Anyone who is asymptomatic will be sent home without a test and be instructed to self-isolate and monitor themselves for common cold symptoms.
Even people who have mild symptoms will not be tested unless they work in a high-risk setting such as a hospital or a long-term care facility.
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