Canada will miss COVID-19 cases as testing systems become overwhelmed: experts
Global News
Demand for PCR COVID-19 tests is overwhelming testing systems in some parts of Canada, and experts warn that we might soon be missing cases as a result.
Daniel Bear would like to get a COVID-19 test.
“I know I have COVID,” the father from Toronto told Global News on Tuesday.
He’s taken five rapid tests since his nose started running nearly a week ago. At first, they were negative, he said. But on Sunday when his symptoms got worse, he took another, and it was positive. He’s had two more positive tests since.
Bear said he’d like to get a PCR test from a government testing centre because his daughter’s school won’t notify families who may have been exposed without a positive PCR test result.
“I don’t need a PCR test for vanity’s sake, I need a PCR test so that the school can notify other families that I was there for pick-up,” he said.
But, he wasn’t able to find an appointment until this upcoming Thursday, and he fears that might be too late to produce an accurate result. After hearing of his plight, he said, a private company sent him an at-home kit that he plans to take right away, though not everyone has that option.
Bear isn’t the only one having trouble finding a PCR test in Ontario, or elsewhere. And some experts warn that tests will have to be prioritized for high-risk groups as testing systems become overwhelmed – which will likely lead to inaccurate case counts.
“I think we’re in crisis,” said Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.
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