Please find the new testing criteria for patients who are being assessed by public health and family medicine offices and referred to our assessment centres for testing. These are a “user friendly” summary of the new provincial guidelines.
You will notice these criteria are significantly expanded from previous. We have the capacity to test many more people and encourage you to make referrals for anyone within the identified groups who also have symptoms.
Last Updated April 9, 2020
- Symptomatic health care workers (regardless of care delivery setting) and staff who work in health care facilities and long-term care homes
- Symptomatic First Responders
- All symptomatic patients with contact with a confirmed case or contact with an individual who have been sent for testing
- All symptomatic community/ambulatory patients with:
- Medical co-morbidities OR
- Working in an essential industry
- Symptomatic children attending essential day care
- Symptomatic household members or family care givers living with/providing care to those with medical co-morbidities
Medical comorbidities include heart disease, chronic lung disease, renal disease, and immune compromise.
We do not have a specific definition of “essential industry” – we ask that you use your judgement.
Significant symptoms include new cough, fever, shortness of breath (even when not active), change in taste and smell, loss of smell or taste, new onset muscle aches and fatigue. People may also report unexplained or significant headache, sore throat, runny nose or diarrhea.
Symptoms in young children may include lethargy and/or decreased feeding.