Thread by @PennyDaflos

Seeing some inconsistencies in government messaging around testing in BC right now. @Fraserhealth just issued a bulletin urging those with even mild symptoms to go straight for a test, and “Fraser Health has testing capacity.”
Their website supports this.
fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-…

What happens when you go to the provincial self assessment tool? It tells you to stay home and call 811 with mild to moderate shortness of breath. You need to select at least 2 symptoms from the subsequent list for direction to a test. bc.thrive.health/covid19/en

The @CDCofBC website has this handy chart with the latest guidance, which is in line with the Thrive screening geared at the most serious symptoms, unless you have more than one. Shouldn’t we test with any of these symptoms? We have the capacity to do a lot more tests.

More on testing in a thread I did recently here, including the fact we topped out capacity at 20,000 a day for some reason.

Ontario has 3x our population and did 61,410 tests yday
BC did 12,332 Weds (most recent data).

https://twitter.com/pennydaflos/status/1373037713096462338

In BC, public health officials still reject asymptomatic testing as not reliable enough (except in certain outbreaks), even though their counterparts in other parts of the country do it

beta.ctvnews.ca/local/british-…

I also found it interesting and noteworthy yesterday when Dr. Henry emphasized going for testing right away rather than call 811 first.
She was quite emphatic on this point when we asked her about the statistics in this story:

bc.ctvnews.ca/up-to-1-in-5-b…

Will we see a greater focus on testing, as experts like @Dr_Conway_VIDC and @DFisman have urged for months?
If so, testing for even the milder & less common symptoms needs to come with clear messaging, especially with 10.7% of BC tests positive on Weds.

bc.ctvnews.ca/school-closure…

Lastly, in DIRECT contradiction to DBH, govt site: student/staff "may still attend school if a member of their household has symptoms of illness, provided the student/staff is not sick." bit.ly/3d1JYlU
🤨
Clarity/consistency are so impt, esp now.
bit.ly/3wK3MSQ

Ok one more, because this slipped my mind and I think it’s important. @CMOH_Alberta is now offering ALL close contacts to be tested twice.
They’re in bad shape in Alberta but this can’t hurt and might be a big help.
calgary.ctvnews.ca/it-is-now-that…