Private GTA COVID testing company advocates for home rapid testing

Article content

The current focus in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is on vaccinations.

But what if rapid antigen testing could prevent further lockdowns and help stop the spread of the virus?

Dr. Peter Blecher, the chief health officer at the private GTA health care company, FH Health, said he thinks it’s a workable solution.

“We grew out of really trying to meet an unmet need at the start of COVID for providing same-day and real-time testing results and contact tracing to groups and corporations to try and keep their shared space safe,” said Blecher, during a telephone interview from Port Hope.

Blecher says their rapid antigen COVID test requires a nasal secretion taken by a swab. The testing process takes 15-20 minutes, yielding a positive or negative result.

Now, he’d like to see rapid antigen tests be widely used and allowed for home use.

Blecher said the Ontario government has been “the most aggressive in adopting these and pushing the federal government for home-based use.”

“There’s a large body of growing evidence — and there has been for many months — that the aggressive use of the albiet sightly less accurate but much cost-effective rapid tests significantly change the curve of this disease. Every school child in the U.K. gets two rapid tests a week. They’re testing themselves. And they’re allowed to do it at home.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

Blecher said if “everybody tested themselves twice a week and we only caught about 70 or 75% of the positives, which is about the threshold of the antigen test, with people testing themselves at home and staying at home, COVID will not be able to spread. Because that is, in effect, what you’re trying to achieve with herd immunity. When 70% of people can’t get the infection, then you get herd immunity because the virus doesn’t have enough people to jump to.”

jstevenson@postmedia.com