As businesses open up across the province, B.C.B次元官网网址檚 top doctor reminded them that B次元官网网址渢esting is not enoughB次元官网网址� to keep COVID-19 transmission down in workplaces.
Dr. Bonnie HenryB次元官网网址檚 warning came as two outbreaks were identified in Fraser Health, both in offices: New World Technology in Abbotsford and Maersk Distribution Canada Inc in Delta. As of Tuesday, there were 207 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C.
B次元官网网址淭esting can help identify people who have COVID-19,B次元官网网址� Henry said.
Health officials have said asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people can still spread the virus, even as testing remains B次元官网网址渦nreliableB次元官网网址� for people with mild or non existent symptoms.
ItB次元官网网址檚 been about three weeks since B.C. entered Phase Two of its reopening plan, with many businesses B次元官网网址� including retail shops that closed voluntarily, and offices that sent employees to work from home B次元官网网址� opening their doors .
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen many examples of businesses owners getting creative, learning to operate safely and responsibly, and all of us are getting that comfort level with how we can do this in ways that minimize our risks,B次元官网网址� Henry said.
Measures that have been suggested to some barriers, and required of others, include physical barriers, one-way paths, personal protective equipment and extra cleaning.
Henry said some businesses have inquired about testing and screening practices to keep COVID-19 out of their workplaces.
B次元官网网址淲e meed to remember the many steps that are required to keep everybody safe,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淩elying on one layer [of protection] B次元官网网址� like testing B次元官网网址� is not enough.B次元官网网址�
A person can show up negative one day, Henry said, but come up positive the next as the disease progresses. Testing can take up to 24 hours to see results, she noted.
But another type of testing is taking a longer than hoped for amount of time to become reality.
Serology testing, which tests for antibodies to see if someone has had the virus in the past, has not begun widespread use in B.C. Knowing who has antibodies would be the first step in determining who has immunity against COVID-19.
B次元官网网址淚 know weB次元官网网址檝e all been a little frustrated by how long itB次元官网网址檚 taking us to get a good reliable testsB次元官网网址� to understand who has antibodies in our community,B次元官网网址� Henry said. The delay is caused by false positives and false negatives, which both the BC Centre for Disease Control, and labs around the country, are working on.
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