Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Screening

Detect Potential COVID-19 Infections

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Rapid COVID-19 antigen screening tests are completed to detect potential COVID-19 infections in people who do not have any symptoms (i.e. they are asymptomatic). These tests are qualitative and not diagnostic in nature. Screening individuals with rapid tests can identify some, but not all, asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases and can limit viral transmission by isolating infected people earlier. Rapid screening does not replace public health measures such as physical distancing, masking, hand hygiene, staying home and accessing testing when sick, and the mandatory isolation of COVID-19 cases and quarantine of their close contacts.

Many screening questionnaires aim to identify symptoms of COVID-19 or situations in which an individual may have been exposed to COVID-19 (for example, travel outside of one’s country of residence). However, there are many pre-existing conditions (such as seasonal allergies, asthma, etc.) that can mimic the symptoms of COVID-19, which can result in individuals being unnecessarily sent to self-isolate.

Within minutes of taking a rapid COVID-19 antigen screening test, an individual can self-isolate and obtain a laboratory-based PCR confirmation test, thus reducing the spread of the infection at a worksite or within public spaces. This quick result turnaround makes risk prevention actionable in real-time.

Health Canada approved testing

All rapid Covid-19 antigen screening tests are performed using Health Canada approved testing devices and used in compliance with testing guidelines issued by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.  

Rapid Covid-19 antigen screening tests are conducted by trained collectors. They will instruct the individual in the self-collection of a nasal swab and will then process and interpret the results.  Once the sample is collected and processed, the result can be read in as little as 15 minutes.