Some Sask. doctors encouraging throat and nasal swabs for rapid COVID-19 testing
Some Saskatchewan doctors are now encouraging residents to use both a throat and nasal swab on rapid COVID-19 tests.
With the provincial government's emphasis on rapid testing to monitor the Omicron-fuelled wave of the pandemic, early data indicates a throat swab could be more effective for rapid tests to pick up the variant.
Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, an epidemiologist, said the development is interesting but noted a throat swab should be done in tandem with a nasal swab and not as a replacement.
“I would really say it is a little bit early yet to really kind of change our messaging," Muhajarine said. "Do the throat swab, and the nasal and see whether it is positive."
If a throat swab is being done, it should be done first with the rest of the nasal swab procedure to follow.
Rapid tests are known to present false negatives, making consistent testing key.
"If it is negative, you do another one before you tell yourself you’re completely clear," Muhajarine said.
Regardless, if symptoms appear a PCR test is still considered the gold standard by Muhajarine.
A throat swab for rapid testing is not currently approved by Health Canada, but the Saskatchewan Health Authority said in a statement it "is reviewing emerging evidence about using throat swabs for PCR tests."
"Any changes to current protocols for PCR or rapid tests will be communicated publicly," the SHA said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.