'The evaluation that we did was based on the Delta variant, which is extremely infectious,' he said Thursday. Michaels Hospital in Toronto, told CTV News Channel that rapid antigen tests have an 'important role' at this point in the pandemic as more transmissible variants continue to emerge. Fahad Razak, a member of the Ontario Science Table and an internal medicine physician at St. 'So I think there's still a clear inherent value in folks using rapid tests.'ĭr. 'We're not looking at a 99 per cent confidence in terms of the rapid test, but they are still quite high,' Mohan said. However, he said rapid tests are 'within the 80th and the 90th percentile of sensitivity and specificity,' and can help to identify COVID-19 cases quickly. Mohan acknowledged that 'nothing is as accurate as' the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are widely considered the 'gold standard' for COVID-19 testing in Canada, but have a longer turnaround time - usually up to three days. 'So if you want to be extra cautious taking a rapid test prior to the event to ensure that you know you are not transmitting the virus to anyone that's there, I think that's a good idea.' 'Omicron, if not now, very shortly will be the dominant strain in Canada,' Mohan said. He says those looking to gather over the holidays should be fully vaccinated and have a booster shot if they are eligible. However, Mohan said rapid tests are 'only one of many layers of protection' against COVID-19 and do not replace vaccines.

Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox.' provides an extra layer of data that gives you an idea of where you're sitting in terms of the possibility to transmit the virus to those who are more vulnerable.' 'What rapid tests do is they provide an indication of someone's status at that time,' Mohan said in a telephone interview Monday. Nitin Mohan, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Western University, told CTVNews.ca that rapid antigen tests, which can provide on the spot results in about 20 minutes, can 'absolutely' be used to further protect Canadians who plan to spend time with family and friends this holiday season. However, they warn that the tests aren't perfect.ĭr. As concerns over the spread of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant seep into Canadians' holiday plans, experts say rapid tests could be used to help protect those looking to get together with friends and family.

Covid rapid test accuracy rate