Medtech Canada calls for increased use of rapid testing to reduce spread of COVID-19 and enable safe, sustained reopening plans
TORONTO, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Medtech Canada is calling on jurisdictions across Canada to drastically increase the use of rapid testing solutions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and enable safe, sustainable reopening plans.
Rapid tests can be easily administered in a wide variety of congregate settings, such as workplaces, educational institutions, events, or rapid testing clinics, and when used, are invaluable screening tools that catch COVID-19 cases before spread and outbreaks occur.
These screening tools should be used as a first line of defense as part of public health measures and have been put into practice in many jurisdictions around the world. For example, Austria requires "entry tests", whereby individuals in the country seeking to enter many different public places, such as dining in a restaurant or utilize a service that requires close proximity to others (e.g., hairdresser), must first show a negative test (or proof of vaccination/past COVID infection)1. To satisfy these requirements, rapid antigen tests are administered at pharmacies and testing facilities, and monitored self-tests are also permitted.
We have advocated for months for the increased use of all available testing solutions, including rapid tests, and we commend the federal government and provincial governments across the country on recent initiatives to facilitate rapid testing, primarily in workplaces. These initiatives will keep workers, their families, and customers safe, while reducing community spread and pressure on our healthcare system.
Some jurisdictions in Canada have been leading the way in recent months on deploying and supporting the implementation of rapid screening programs, while others have lagged.
While these leading initiatives are highly welcomed, Medtech Canada is calling on governments across the country to continue to make rapid screening as accessible as possible, by reducing barriers to the widespread use of these screening tools. Some examples of barriers include:
- Some provinces still require the tests to be administered by a health care worker, which is unnecessary due to the tests' ease of use. These tests can be easily self-administered (as is done by older school children in Austria2) and most other provinces across Canada no longer have this requirement.
- Arduous and/or largescale validation projects are still required in some parts of Canada. There is robust evidence, both from Canada and internationally, supporting the efficacy and use of these tests which should support widespread usage. For example, Slovakia implemented mass testing to get its outbreak under control and saw the prevalence of COVID-19 drop by 58%.3 In Canada, Nova Scotia's pop-up rapid testing sites have found at least 10% of the province's third wave cases.4
Reducing barriers to implementation and instituting greater opportunities for Canadians to use these tests will benefit individuals and Canadian society. As many provinces begin removing lockdown measures, broader use of rapid testing solutions must be quickly implemented as integral tools to facilitate safe and sustained reopenings, while saving lives.
About Medtech Canada
Medtech Canada is the national association representing the medical technology industry in Canada. Our association advocates for achieving patient access to leading edge, innovative technology solutions that provide valuable outcomes. Our members are committed to providing safe and innovative medical technologies that enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient access to health care, and help enable the sustainability of our health care system. The medical technology industry in Canada employs over 35,000 Canadians in approximately 1,500 facilities across the country. www.medtechcanada.org
SOURCE Medtech Canada
Gerry Frenette, 6474062053, [email protected]
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