Advocates implore Alberta government to get rapid COVID-19 tests into parents' hands
CBC
Millions of rapid test kits for COVID-19 appear to have gone unused in Alberta, in what advocates are calling a missed opportunity to help curb the spread of the disease in schools.
Edmonton infectious diseases physician Dr. Leyla Asadi said rapid tests have been an underused tool throughout the pandemic. Routine use of the kits can help identify people who have COVID-19 but aren't showing symptoms.
A person with a preliminary positive result can isolate while waiting for a lab test to confirm, helping curb the spread of the virus to others, she said.
"It's become clear that vaccines alone are not sufficient," Asadi said. "We need to have this layered approach with masks, with ventilation, with filtration, and with rapid tests."
The rate of new COVID-19 cases among children age 5-11, who are not eligible to be vaccinated, now far exceeds the pace of new diagnoses for any other age group, according to Alberta Health data.
Meanwhile, the federal government reports that of the 4.4 million rapid test kits it has sent to Alberta, just one million of them have been reported as used. The government says 3.5 million kits have been distributed to organizations.
As of Monday, Alberta Health said it has 980,000 kits in a stockpile that schools or other organizations can request from the Alberta Rapid Testing Program. The kits are part of the federal supply.
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