Interior Health rolls out take-home rapid tests

KAMLOOPS — With the highly transmissible Omicron variant, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the Interior Health region.

The health authority is now offering 15-minute take-home rapid tests to anyone feeling symptoms.

“Our testing capacity has been pushed to the limits in B.C. but also in the Interior Health Authority region. What’s happening this week is that we do now have available rapid tests at some of our collection centres across the region,” Interior Health Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Sue Pollock says.

No appointment is necessary for pickup and screening can be done on site. But Interior Health urges residents to use the BC COVID-19 self assessment tool before grabbing a test.

“We do ask people to do that assessment before they show up and to make sure that they do have those symptoms. But absolutely they can show up and they will get asked some questions before they are given a rapid test,” Pollock says.

If you are positive for COVID-19 and you’re partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, you must self isolate for 10 days. If you’re fully vaccinated, that period is only seven days.

The U.S. recently shortened its isolation time, raising questions around whether B.C. will follow.

“Very similar to what the U.S. CDC based their data on — is that people tend to be infectious a day or two before they feel symptoms, but that the symptoms tend to be mild and drop off quickly,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a news conference on Wednesday (Dec. 29). “So we are looking at that very carefully and whether we can shorten that period.”

Based on the province’s research, Interior Health says fully vaccinated people with mild symptoms may not require a test.

“If they’re only experiencing very mild symptoms, they can manage that at home. They don’t necessarily need a test — so we just ask them to manage their illness at home. They can self isolate for seven days, notify their close contacts,” Dr. Pollock says.

A test is still advised for anyone with severe COVID-19 symptoms, like a fever, loss of smell or taste, or difficulty breathing.

On-site PCR testing is also available and can be booked online. But Interior Health hopes that with the roll out of rapid tests, the public can help alleviate the strain on its testing system.

“The rapid testing will take some of the pressure off of our lab system and our usual PCR testing processes,” Dr. Pollock says.