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
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.