Thread by @JonnKmech

I was able to pick up a pack of the rapid tests from a small pharmacy in #yegdt - swabbed myself, no COVID. But what this thread is about is how beyond fucking ridiculous it is for the government to expect the average person to do this. 1/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

For context, I have a physiology degree and took at least second-level university chemistry courses - and it is still challenging to do. 2/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

The test kit comes with everything you need: swabs, tubes, the reagent, etc. You have to swab yourself, then mix it with the reagent properly, allow the correct amount of time, then put it on the applicator in order to get a correct result. 3/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

It's basically doing a chemistry experiment - the difference being that it tells you whether you have a contagious virus or not. 4/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

So if you don't swab yourself correctly; if the sample is accidentally contaminated in the process; if you don't mix it right with the reagent or leave it for long enough before applying it to the - you may not get a proper result. 5/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

The packet instructions literally say: "negative results should be treated as presumptive and do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions including infection control decisions." 6/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

Is this not exactly what the AB government is doing? How many people will miss a diagnosis because of this? How can you expect the average person to do these as accurately as trained health care workers? The answer is: you can't. 7/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

If it's challenging for someone who's done post-secondary biology and chemistry, what about someone who've never done anything like this? What will the error rate be on these tests? 8/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

Not only that, but you also need a clock/stopwatch to time them; you need a safe place to do it; the tests need to be room temp; how could anyone experiencing homelessness or vulnerability possibly utilize these either? 9/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

Another fascinating thing in the instructions for these rapid tests, under Limitations: "the performance of this device has not been assessed in a population vaccinated against COVID-19." 10/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

NextlLimitation in the list (#9): "This assay is not intended for home testing (or self testing)." So these tests are not even intended for what the Alberta government is using them for. 11/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

Another limitation from the list (#11): the performance of these tests have not been clinically validated for use in patients w/o signs and symptoms of respiratory infection. Sounds like Omicron! 12/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

Also from the instructions: "The Rapid Response COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Device is intended for use by trained laboratory personnel or health care professionals." Sounds like these are going to be very questionably accurate for many people using them. 13/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg

There is so much wrong with this picture and so many questions that need to be asked (like the coming lack of population-level data). But it seems obvious that tests conducted by trained professional health care workers will still be miles above these. 14/ #abpoli #ableg #yeg