The Grey Bruce Health Unit says it’s been brought to its attention that some people with COVID-19 symptoms are using Rapid Antigen Testing as a COVID-19 diagnostic tool rather than booking an appointment and isolating until results come back.
The health unit says while rapid antigen tests are useful tools, they should not be used as a diagnostic tool for people with symptoms as it has a high failure rate and is not reliable in confirming a positive or negative result in people with symptoms.
According to public health, that means if you have a negative antigen test it does not provide a clear indication of whether or not you have COVID-19. They say antigen tests will not be accepted by Public Health Grey Bruce as clearance to return to work or school.
The health unit says using these tests alone can give false assurance, delay proper diagnosis and increase the risk of transmission in the community.
The health unit says if you have symptoms or have been identified by public health as a high risk contact of a case or if you’ve been told to by public health to get tested for any other reason, they ask that you isolate immediately and book an appointment with an assessment centre.