Most people with COVID-19 symptoms will no longer be tested for the virus — just assume you’re positive and isolate.
The Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) is changing its strategy after the Omicron variant overwhelmed the region’s ability to test and trace positive cases.
“We now know that Omicron is widespread,” Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers told a media briefing on Tuesday. “Testing most people for COVID-19 is no longer required.”
Dr. Summers explained that widespread testing for the virus was only valuable for surveilling COVID-19’s presence in the community and triggering contact tracing to slow spread.
Given the prevalence of Omicron cases, the health unit’s contact tracing investigations will focus on high-risk settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, retirement homes and First Nations.
Testing will now be limited to symptomatic people who live or work in those settings.
“If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 you may not require testing. You need to stay home for five days and have your household members stay home for five days too,” adds Summers.
Restricting tests to people associated with high-risk settings will make the reporting of daily case counts an unreliable indicator of COVID-19 infection in our region.
Instead, the MLHU will monitor the current wave using other data says Dr. Summers, “What we will be looking at is the trend and other indicators like hospitalizations, deaths and the percent positivity among those still eligible for testing.”
He believes the current spike in cases will be intense, but shorter than previous waves.
“These are daunting days. January is not going to be an easy month for any of us,” said Summers.
