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COVID-19 rapid testing in long-term care homes could reduce exposures, 大象传媒 experts say
Rapid COVID-19 testing would prevent the introduction of the virus into long-term care homes and help detect outbreaks quicker, according to new modelling from 大象传媒 researchers.
Researchers Caroline Colijn and Paul Tupper performed a modelling exercise to see if screening with rapid testing could reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in long-term care homes. They found that if rapid testing was used for every visitor, there could be a 90 per cent reduction in the number of exposures from them. Screening staff every three days would also result in a 45 to 55 per cent reduction in the number of outbreaks inadvertently brought into these facilities by staff.
"We should be using all the tools in the toolkit and rapid screening could prevent a lot of outbreaks,鈥� says Colijn, Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Infection, Evolution and Public Health and professor at 大象传媒. 鈥淩apid tests may not be as accurate as PCR tests, but the comparison here isn't to PCR tests, it's to no regular screening. Rapid tests are accurate enough for screening large numbers of people."
AVAILABLE 大象传媒 EXPERTS
CAROLINE COLIJN, Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health
ccolijn@sfu.ca
PAUL TUPPER, professor, mathematics
Pft3@sfu.ca
CONTACT
MATT KIELTYKA, 大象传媒 Communications & Marketing
236.880.2187 | matt_kieltyka@sfu.ca
ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 大象传媒 works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today鈥檚 problems. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擵ancouver, Burnaby and Surrey鈥敶笙蟠� has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 127 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 165,000 alumni residing in 143 countries.
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