Why COVID Testing Affects More Than the Travel Industry

February 5, 2021 Marsha Mowers

I’ve been a vocal critic of the way Canadian governments have handled the COVID pandemic since about mid-summer, 2020. There were things that made me question what the overall plan was, and to use my regular euphemism, “just didn’t make sense.”

The recent mandatory testing for entry into Canada that took effect January 7 makes sense to me. I don’t actually know why it wasn’t enacted a year ago, especially since back in March 2020, travel was responsible for 22% of cases. Figures now suggest it is closer to under 2%.  

The thing is, there have been a lot of testing developments since last March, and there are rapid PCR tests in Canada.

Those are not to be confused with the Rapid Antigen Tests, which are currently the standard in the US and used by a lot of countries for people who want to visit.

Just for the record, the difference is that a PCR COVID-19 (molecular) test, is based on detection of the virus’s genetic material in a sample from the patient’s nose or throat. An antigen test usually provides results diagnosing an active coronavirus infection faster than molecular tests, but antigen tests have a higher chance of missing an active infection. 

That’s why the PCR is the gold standard of testing globally.

However, in Canada, there are Health Canada approved “rapid” PCR tests that have results in as little as 8 hours and up to 24, versus the typical 48 to 72 hours. These are done by private labs, and admittedly there are few locations around the country. Most are located in the Toronto area.

They are pricey – about $150 per test. But they exist. They also are mobile, meaning if you have a group of more than 10 people (workplaces or families) they will come to your site for a reduced rate.

There is talk of these companies working with travel agents to provide this service at a commissionable rate, but things have sort of gone out the window lately with the new restrictions and such. Which brings me to my larger concern.

The technology exists to detect fairly fast and accurately. So, why are we not using this? Why is our government not using this technology to make it more accessible to everyone?  COVID life is going to unfortunately be with us a long time, even after the vaccines (when they eventually get here).

We could give rebates / incentives to companies such as industrial workplaces, who are a big source of outbreaks throughout the pandemic, most recently at Canada Post, Amazon and Belmont Meats.

I don’t know about you, but if there was a $20 test I could take – I joke about a COVID test that has the ease, timeliness and accuracy of taking a pregnancy test – and that would ensure I could see my friends and family safely on the weekend, I’d do it! Is it ideal? Of course not.  But in pandemic times nothing is, and the focus should be on how we can get back to normal while continuing to try to stop people from getting sick.

There’s that famous saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We need tougher prevention tactics so we can all begin to return to some sense of normalcy, and of course, a beach.

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