New Toronto Pearson Program Will Compare Antigen and Rapid PCR Virus Testing
February 24, 2021 ctn_admin
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operators of Toronto Pearson, have announced a robust new COVID-19 PCR and antigen testing research program at Canada’s busiest airport.
Testing starts on March 1 and is designed to explore the efficacy of antigen testing, compared with the rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, in a busy commercial environment, as well as to explore how to make rapid PCR testing work best in an airport environment.
Similar to the GTAA’s co-sponsoring of the McMaster Health Labs International Border Study in Fall 2020, this the next step in the GTAA’s efforts to support government by offering new science and data that can contribute to a longer term testing and recovery framework.
This research program will lead to the creation of new point-of-need testing capacity at the airport, as well as laboratory capacity to process these tests. The GTAA will lead a team of Canadian healthcare companies to run multiple research studies at Toronto Pearson, which will make free COVID-19 tests available to all airport employees, as well as testing for eligible departing passengers on select routes who are willing to volunteer as participants.
“Throughout Toronto Pearson’s Healthy Airport transformation, the GTAA has remained committed to a science and data-driven approach, guided by experts in healthcare, diagnostic testing, public health, and industry, officials said. “This initiative further deepens the GTAA’s focus on contributing to local and national economic recovery, while protecting the community. The findings of this study may have application in other settings, including schools and workplaces.”
The National Research Council of Canada funded study will begin on March 1, 2021 starting with operations in Terminal 1 and will gradually increase to full operation in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 by mid-March 2021. Airport Workers and passengers will be able to access the testing
in Terminal 1 first on March 1. Passengers travelling from Terminal 3 would be tested in Terminal 1, until services are available in Terminal 3.
Clinical analysis of test swabs will take place on-site at the airport, using LuminUltra’s rapid PCR test, with results provided to the participant within two hours. Participants will also be tested using Response Biomedical rapid antigen tests for research purposes.
To be eligible to participate in the NRC funded research, volunteers cannot have any symptoms of COVID-19 and must also be five years of age or older.
Health professionals at terminal testing sites will administer the tests, with each study volunteer receiving two tests:
– Rapid PCR: These tests are the standard COVID-19 lab tests currently used in Canada. The studies will use the Health Canada-authorized LuminUltra
technology, a point-of-need lab testing solution that provides clinical diagnosis on site within two hours. This is the result that will be returned to participants.
– Rapid Antigen: Rapid antigen testing is used for screening purposes and positive results are considered presumptive. Participants in the pilot program will be tested using Response Biomedical Corp.’s RAMP COVID-19 Antigen Test, which provides results in approximately fifteen minutes directly from a nasal swab sample. The RAMP COVID-19 Antigen Test is currently undergoing validation; volunteers will not receive the RAMP test results.
The Workplace Antigen Testing Study, led by Drs. Schwartz, Jah and Bogoch, will recruit 500 volunteers from Toronto Pearson’s airport worker community. This program will be available to all airport workers at the Terminal 1 testing centre beginning March 1.
The testing program is supported in part by funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program.
To assist in summarizing the key points, this chart breaks down the three streams of COVID-19 testing research that will be studied as part of this program.
| Departing Passengers | Airport Workers | Workplace Antigen Study |
| Research funding provided to study antigen result comparison to rapid PCR result Test operationalization of rapid PCR testing in an airport environmentSupport routes that have destination entry requirements of a negative PCR testSupport provincial and local public health COVID-19 case managementWho can be tested: internationally departing passengers who need to show proof of a COVID-19 test to enter their destination country | Research funding provided to study antigen result comparison to rapid PCR result Assess the ability to operationalize rapid testing Reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplaceReduce lost time of testing asymptomatic employeesSupport provincial and local public health COVID-19 case managementWho can be tested: all airport workers | University epidemiologists brought on board to study efficacy of antigen testing workplace screening program Determine the benefits of regular antigen testing to create a strong workplace testing programReduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplaceEarly identification of employees with COVID-19Assess Antigen tests in the workplace environment using Panbio testsWho can participate: all airport workers |
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) continued its leadership in supporting COVID-19 testing research today, when it announced a robust new COVID-19 PCR and antigen testing research program at Toronto Pearson. The program, which starts on March 1, is supported in part by funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). It is designed to explore the efficacy of antigen testing, compared with the rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, in a high-throughput, commercial environment, as well as the operationalization of rapid PCR testing in an airport environment.
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