'Don’t trust rapid tests': Expert advises Canadians to test more than once before making plans

For the first time in two years, Canadians celebrating Easter and Passover are faced with few public health restrictions limiting their ability to gather with family and friends. But one expert is urging Canadians to take caution and test themselves more than once before getting together.

But experts are urging Canadians to take caution and do what they can to limit the spread of COVID-19.

According to Dr. Peter Juni, the outgoing scientific director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, this means using more than one rapid antigen test (RAT).

“Don’t trust rapid tests,” he told CTV News Channel on Sunday. “We don’t know yet how this works with [Omicron] BA.2. If it’s negative once, [that’s] not enough.”

According to a science brief released by the Ontario Science Table in February, RATs are believed to be less sensitive to the Omicron variant, particularly when compared to their ability to detect the Delta variant. Additionally, little remains known about how these tests perform when exposed to the BA.2 sub-variant, Juni said. As a result, he recommends Canadians take two rapid tests to confirm whether or not they are infected with COVID-19 before meeting with family and friends.