Health Canada has changed its stance on the use of at-home COVID-19 test kits and is now considering applications from both international and domestic suppliers for devices that would be used for screening, rather than diagnostic purposes.
In June, Health Canada stated it would not be reviewing applications for at-home test kits, causing backlash from some public health experts who argued these tests could help detect the large swath of COVID-19 cases that go unreported.
Davidson said the agency’s previous position was "in relation to the use of home tests for diagnostic purposes." The news comes a day after Health Minister Patty Hajdu took to social media to clarify remarks made by a Health Canada spokesperson in a Globe and Mail article that said the benefits of self-testing don’t outweigh the risks.
"Without the guidance of a health care professional, there is a significant risk that a patient could: use the home test kit improperly or misinterpret the results," the website reads. "It may also be impossible for health care agencies to collect home test results. This information is key to important public health decisions involving disease control during a pandemic."Other public health representatives had also previously cautioned against the use of at-home testing kits.
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