WA is one of the few places in the world where rapid antigen tests for detecting COVID-19 are prohibited. But, things are about to change very soon.
Unless you are a truck driver, West Australians can face penalties of up to $20,000 for using a rapid antigen test for COVID-19. But these hard rules might soon change.
According to Deputy Premier Roger Cook, WA’s ban on these tests will be lifted next week.“From next week the Chief Health Officer will lift the public health ban on the use of rapid antigen tests in WA,” Mr Cook said.“We’re finalising the exact guidelines around their use and will announce further information ahead of the ban being lifted,” he added.
The announcement is in line with the views of other stakeholders, like those of Pharmacy guild president for WA, Andrew Ngeow, who argues that current policies need to change now, as local pharmacist can’t start sourcing RATs while current penalties are in place. This means that when the borders finally open and the virus start spreading across WA, there won’t be enough supplies to meet the demand.
“We have February 5 looming, so let’s unlock it now and prepare for it, so workplaces can keep open and allow us to stay safe through early detection,” Mr Ngeow said in a news release.
“The eastern states are clamouring for stock and I don’t want WA to be holding out for stock when we need it the most,” he added.
For the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the use of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) is a key approach to prevent a health system overload. According to Dr Jacqueline Small, President-elect of the RACP, these tests should be freely available to anyone who needs them.
“Making the tests free is the only way to guarantee those that need them get them,” Dr Small said.
“This is especially important for priority groups including people with disability who are required to present a negative test to access care and treatment, and staff and families visiting residential aged care facilities,” she added.
According to Dr Small, RAT tests also need to be easily available for Aboriginal communities. “We are also concerned by reports that a large proportion of COVID-19 cases are not being picked up in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Tests need to be made widely available through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services where possible. This will help to pick up positive cases and ensure that appropriate care is provided at the earliest opportunity,” she said.
Nationwide, the Australian government is currently debating how to make these test available to all Australians, as the health system is unable to cope with the growing number of cases and the need to get everyone tests.
The plan so far, announced this week, is to make RATs freely available to close contacts of those infected, as well as to people with symptoms, health care workers and aged care workers. Australians who are low-income earners, welfare recipients and pensioners will be able to get 10 free RATs over a three-month period. Everyone else will need to buy their RATs.
Another major change announced this week is that people who test positive using a RAT are no longer required to get a PCR test, they are officially considered positive for the COVID-19 virus.
But, for RACP, there is also a need to make changes to the current testing framework for COVID-19, which currently advises the use of RATS when PCR testing is not available or over-capacity. In a press release, RACP advises that the current testing framework needs to be updated in order to ensure anyone suspected or at risk of COVID-19 has access a RAT or PCR test.
While local and national governments sort out the best way to make RATs available, the TGA has already approved a host of these tests.
COVID-19 test: the best of the best
According to the TGA, the following COVID-19 self-tests offer “very high sensitivity”:
- All Test SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Nasal Swab) (ICOV-502H) Self-Test – Nasal swab
- LYHER Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Antigen Test Kit (Colloidal Gold) Self-Test – Nasal swab
- OnSite COVID-19 Ag Self Test – Nasal swab
- Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test – Nasal swab
- Rapid SARS-COV-2 Antigen Test Card Self-test – Nasal swab
- V-Chek COVID-19 Antigen Saliva Test – Saliva
Next in line, the following tests have given a “high sensitivity” label:
- All Test COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (Oral Fluid) Self-Test (ICOV-802H) – Oral fluid
- Hough COVID-19 Home Test – Nasal swab
- JusChek SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Nasal Swab) INCP-502H Self Test – Nasal swab
- JusChek COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (Oral Fluid) ICOV-802H Self Test – Oral fluid
- My Covid Test Antigen Rapid Test (Oral Fluid) (ICOV-802H) Self-Test – Oral fluid
- Orawell COVID-19 Ag Rapid saliva test device (Self-test) – Saliva
- RightSign COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Cassette (Nasal Swab) – Nasal swab
- TESTSEALABS COVID-19 Antigen Test Cassette – Nasal swab
Finally, these tests below received only an “acceptable sensitivity” label by the TGA:
- CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test – Nasal swab
- Ecotest COVID-19 Antigen Saliva Test kit (COV-S35Pen) – Saliva
- InnoScreen COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Device (Self Test) – Nasal swab
- SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self Test Nasal – Nasal swab