Choosing the right workplace COVID-19 rapid test is an essential next step in protecting your worker’s safety
Keep Your Business Open and Employees Safe with the right workplace COVID-19 screening test
- The Provincial Government recently announced that it is relaxing the regulations around the use of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Tests (“RADT”) to make it easier for businesses to conduct workplace COVID-19 rapid testing.
- RADT like BD VeritorTM, does not require administration by a healthcare professional, and can be administered at virtually any location/workplace, and will typically provide an immediate test result within 15-20 minutes.
- The use of rapid tests as a screening tool is another layer of protection, it is not a diagnostic tool for COVID-19 infection in symptomatic individuals or individuals with known contact with a positive COVID-19 case.
- Current workplace screening protocols such as physical distancing, masking, hand hygiene, staying home, and accessing testing when sick need to remain in place.
- Rapid testing screening programs can identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic cases – people who don’t know they’re infected with COVID-19 so they can be isolated early to stop the spread.
- When used regularly, RADTs may help identify individuals who may be infectious early on. Individuals can be pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic but still be carrying the virus and may transmit it to others. They are also effective at identifying individuals who have a high viral load.
- Those receiving a positive RADT result should seek a PCR test as soon as possible for a confirmatory diagnosis. This also allows local public health authorities to identify the nature of the virus and track variants of concern.
- Any individual who is currently symptomatic or a contact of a confirmed case should be directed to their healthcare provider, to an assessment center, or participating licensed community lab to obtain a diagnostic test instead of a rapid screening test.
- Choosing the right workplace COVID-19 rapid testing can be as simple as matching your needs to a product
