Province uses new kind of rapid tests that can give results in 15 minutes

Testers used a new rapid COVID-19 test for the first time on P.E.I. Thursday at a temporary testing clinic at UPEI.

About 380 people received the rapid molecular tests, and were able to get the results back very quickly in about 15 minutes.

After an outbreak of COVID-19 with 11 cases in Charlottetown announced last weekend, officials asked all capital-area residents in their 20s to be tested for COVID-19.

More than 4,000 people eagerly showed up to be tested, waiting for hours in long lineups. It was more tests than the system had ever done at once.

"The tests that were used at UPEI yesterday were a particular type of rapid molecular tests, which are different than our other rapid antigen tests," P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said in response to a question from CBC news during an unscheduled pandemic briefing Friday morning.

"I think it's great to be able to have that. It's something that we can use almost as a population-level tool, which was needed yesterday."

Thursday alone, testers took swabs from 1,400 Islanders and tested them on-Islandthat's three-and-a-half times the lab's regular capacity, Dr. Greg German, the medical microbiologist with Health PEI, told Island Morninghost Mitch Cormier Friday.

Testers used a new rapid molecular COVID-19 test at UPEI Thursday

4 years ago

Duration 1:24

'It's something that we can use almost as a population-level tool, which was needed yesterday,' says CPHO Dr. Heather Morrison.

On top of that, German said testers performed the 380 rapid tests.

"Rapid testing in general is only good up to a point," German said. He said it allows them to digest multiple samples, but creates other bottlenecks.

Wait times for results with traditional tests are two to three days for those who don't have symptoms and about two for those who have symptoms, he added.

'Drained our fuel tanks'

At the Friday briefing, Morrison said there are approximately 1,300 tests that still needto be processed from this week's swabs.

The tests have mostly been done on P.E.I., Germansaid, but on Wednesday they did send about 100 samples to Halifax;on Thursday, another 400 samples went. Just sending the samples to Halifax required a great deal of lab work labelling and shipping, he said.

"Our staff has just been fantastic and are rising to this challenge," German said, "We've had a few bumps in the road, when it was the high school student or when it was this weekend, so we've already kind of drained our fuel tanks. So then this week when we had this surge in demand, we've done everything we can. And just like a good Islander, we've stuck together, we've worked together, and we've asked for help."

German said when he was told about the mass testing of those in their 20s in the capital region, he was concerned about how the lab would handle it. He said they quickly gathered and came up with a plan.

"I went to my staff and said, 'This is a marathon, this is not a sprint, and I know you've already done two sprints,'" he said. They got their supplies in order and called in as many staff as they could.

'Big gun' testing process

"Essentially the whole lab is working together on this, and we've taken over a large classroom just to help with the influx of samples," he said.

They also offered to help out other testing labs in Winnipeg, Moncton and Halifax.

He said the lab has also developed its own testing process, what he called a "big gun" testing process, in which it would be possible to test as many as 3,300 samples in one day. He said they'll use it if there's another such mass-testing call.

The lab on P.E.I. has not seen any false positive tests so far, German confirmed.

Officials are now asking those in the 20-29 age group to be tested only if they have symptoms.

Reminder about symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
• Sore throat.
• New or worsening fatigue.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Runny nose.

More from CBC P.E.I.