As the province re-opens and new variants emerge in Canada, testing for infectiousness is more important than ever
WATERLOO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#COVID19Ontario--Haven Testing is pleased to announce the availability of BTNX Rapid Response COVID-19 antigen rapid tests kits for home use. The Health Canada-authorized kit allows anyone to detect the presence of an active COVID-19 infection in just 15 minutes.
As the province moves through the steps of its plan to reopen, antigen tests can play an important role in testing for infectiousness, especially as new variants arrive in Canada.
In early June, UK-based Francis Crick Institute, the National Institute for Health Research and the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, published the world’s largest study on the efficacy of vaccines in providing protection against COVID-19 variants. The study used blood samples from people who had received double vaccinations to measure levels of the antibodies that block entry of the virus into cells. It was found that antibody levels in the samples tested against the Delta strain were almost 5x lower than the levels in the original wild COVID-19 strain. Given the reduced efficacy of vaccines against the Delta variant, frequent antigen testing can help identify infectiousness and help slow the spread of the virus.
“Rapid antigen tests are effective in determining when transmission of COVID-19 is most likely to occur,” said Dr. Adam Faller, post doctorate fellow in genomics at the University of Guelph. “The vaccines in place today were developed for the original strain of the virus. As the virus evolves and more transmissible variants emerge, rapid antigen tests, along with laboratory-based PCR tests, remain important tools in helping people determine how to best manage COVID-19.”
Rapid antigen tests have become the backbone of many national health programs, including Singapore, the UK, and Germany, because they can be used proactively as a screening tool to immediately detect when the COVID-19 virus is most contagious. These programs are predicated on people having rapid antigen tests readily available when and where they need them. Ontario’s Stay Safe at Work program is currently distributing antigen tests to small businesses, but there is still a large portion of the population who cannot access these tests.
“While it’s great that businesses have the opportunity to obtain rapid antigen tests, we believe the demand spans well beyond business,” said JP Bhavnani, managing partner of Haven Testing. “There is a huge need for immediate access to antigen tests for anyone and everyone. If every medicine cabinet in Ontario contained antigen tests for screening, we would be able to detect infectiousness in real-time and people could make safe and informed decisions.”
BTNX rapid antigen tests are available for purchase starting today in kits of 5 tests at www.haventesting.com. Kits are priced at $99 or about $20 per test.
About Haven Testing
Haven Testing is a Canadian online provider of home medical tests aimed at arming people with information about their health. The company was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide people with access to safe and accurate antigen tests. For more information, visit www.haventesting.com.
Contacts
Media inquiries:
Lynda Chau
press@haventesting.com