‘People are still looking for it’: Free at-home COVID-19 testing limited in Alberta

Albertans may struggle to find free at-home COVID-19 tests — and may have to pay for those they do find — now that the province’s supply has been distributed and the federal program is over.

Ottawa’s free COVID-19 rapid antigen distribution program, which provided provinces and territories with the kits, ended Oct. 1 and there are no plans to replenish the inventory.

Alberta Health confirms the entire supply has gone to pharmacies.

“While supply may be limited, there are still a number of pharmacies in Alberta that still have supply,” the ministry said in a statement, directing people to a map on the map. Alberta Blue Cross inventory site.

“If Albertans cannot find a pharmacy that offers free rapid antigen tests, they can choose to purchase a test kit from a pharmacy or an online store.”

Heba Elbayoumi, the pharmacist and owner of Heathers Pharmacy on 10 Street NW in Calgary, says patients regularly seek out the tests.

“It’s something we’re getting calls and questions about. People are still looking for it,” she said.

Elbayoumi says she has resorted to ordering a private supply of the rapid tests to sell to patients.

“There is actually quite a demand for it,” she says

“I have nurses look for them, I have people who work in residential care centers get tested if they are afraid they have contracted something before they go back to work. I have people who are going through chemotherapy or cancer treatments, or people who are going to visit their elderly parents and they want to check and test before they do that.”

Some pharmacies are offering on-site testing, and Alberta Health continues to offer laboratory-based COVID PCR testing for people at risk of severe outcomes, to support their clinical care and to manage outbreaks in high-risk facilities.

Can I still use expired tests?

Many of the rapid tests offered to Albertans through the federal program are set to expire at the end of this year, but many health officials say you can still use them — within reason.

The manufacturer determines the expiration date, which is stated on the box or label of the kit, but Health Canada has also given permission various shelf life extensions for certain rapid tests.

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Calgary, says there is still value in using kits about a year past their expiration date.

She says as a rule of thumb, a positive COVID test should be treated as a positive infection, but a negative test does not necessarily guarantee no COVID infection.

“If it takes longer than a year than the date on the test kit, you can probably still use it, as long as you are willing to accept that you might not contract a COVID infection – it may be less sensitive to capturing infections – but if you test positive, even if it’s a mildly positive test, that’s something you can reasonably rely on.”

She said knowing if you’ve tested positive is still valuable, especially for people who are at higher risk for serious outcomes.

“If a rapid test can help people make good decisions, I think there is some value in having them, but offering them centrally for a very long time and using them as generously as we used to may not be as justified as in the past So I think we’re somewhere in the middle.”

COVID cases in Alberta

The lack of access to rapid testing comes as COVID cases rise in Alberta.

According to the province respiratory viruses dashboardthere were 591 new COVID cases in Alberta between October 20 and 26, with 313 people in hospital and 15 in intensive care.

Four more people died in that time, for a total of 119 COVID-related deaths in Alberta since late August — when the province begins its respiratory season.

Dr. Satish Raj, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and researcher on the long COVID crisis, says people should take measures and precautions

“If you feel unwell, you should stay home and not expose yourself to a group of other people, whether it is COVID or not,” Raj said.

“Whatever you have is probably contagious. You’re probably better off if you a) try to get better and b) try to protect others by not going to work or school while you’re not feeling well.

“I think we need to understand that as a society and it’s not specific to COVID.”

Health officials are also encouraging people to get their fall immunizations to help stop the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID, influenza and RSV and prevent serious illness.

You can book your COVID-19 and flu vaccination appointments through Alberta Health Services.