Even though Ottawa on Wednesday announced the arrival of tens of millions of rapid COVID-19 tests in the coming weeks, the kits remain difficult for the public to obtain.
Getting a rapid test kit is “an incredible adventure,” says Valérie Beauquier, a resident of Rosemont. ” It’s crazy. “
Due to symptoms of sinusitis that appeared last weekend, she wanted to do a self-test to be sure it was not COVID-19. She says she tried to make an appointment several times to get a kit at her usual pharmacy. Without success. Mme Beauquier then turned to another pharmacy, but the kits had also all been sold there. “I do not understand why we have the tests in drip, she emphasizes. I really feel like I’m in a time of war where you have to line up to get bread. ”
Rapid tests start “extremely quickly”, explains Martin Chao, owner of a Jean Coutu pharmacy located rue Beaubien Est. Since the pharmacist does not know what time the kits arrive each day, the pharmacist posts on Facebook when they receive them. Customers can then make an appointment. “It’s the best we can do for the moment,” he breathes.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, ARCHIVES THE CANADIAN PRESS
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
During a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended himself for being responsible for the difficult access to rapid test kits, arguing that the federal government was delivering millions of self-tests. “It is up to the territories and provinces to distribute the rapid tests to people so that they can use them,” he said. Mr. Trudeau said a total of 35 million tests will be delivered during the month and that “tens and tens of millions of rapid tests will be arriving within a few weeks.” “We know that rapid tests are part of the solution,” he said, recalling that 85 million of these tests had already been provided across the country.
Quebec wants more tests
The Trudeau government’s announcement is “excellent news,” according to Benoit Morin, president of the Quebec Association of Owner Pharmacists. “It brightens my day,” he exclaims. As of Monday, approximately 1 million tests have been received and distributed every day in pharmacies across the province.
After Friday, the quantity of rapid tests that will be sent to Quebec and the date on which they will be remain unknown, specifies Hugues Mousseau, general manager of the Quebec Association of Pharmacy Distributors. As soon as these details become clear, “we will be there to do the distribution,” he says.
With the 4 million tests intended for pharmacies in addition to the 6 million already distributed in schools and daycares, the “10 million tests” promised in Quebec by Ottawa are being received, specified Christian Dubé, Minister of Health and Social Services, during the Legault government press briefing on Wednesday. “But that does not prevent us from asking for more,” he said, stressing that the United States was “very aggressive” at the moment in the international market for rapid tests. If the federal government can’t deliver more tests quickly, “we’ll do the same. [que les États-Unis] “, He argued.
“The pressure is strong”
In addition to allowing the distribution of rapid tests to all, the federal government’s announcement will reduce the anxiety present in the population, believes Benoit Morin. “The pressure is strong,” he emphasizes. In some places, violent comments against pharmacists and their teams have been reported, he laments.
We are doing our best. We have other things to do besides that.
Benoit Morin, President of the Quebec Association of Owner Pharmacists
According to Benoit Morin, the situation of rapid tests is comparable to that of the beginnings of vaccination in pharmacies. “Everyone wanted to be vaccinated and we didn’t have a lot of vaccines,” he recalls. The pressure will be felt until December 24, because of people who want to self-test before the Christmas gatherings, believes the pharmacist.
“An essential tool”
Rapid tests are “an essential tool in the fight against the pandemic,” says Benoit Morin. He therefore wants the population to have access to it in sufficient quantity and at all times.
Rapid tests should normally be complementary to PCR screening tests, recalls Roxane Borgès Da Silva, professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal. But since testing clinics are overwhelmed, these drugstore kits can replace PCR tests to some extent, she argues.
For now, the Quebec government recommends the use of rapid tests only when you have symptoms of COVID-19. However, these tests could become everyday tools since they can determine if a person is contagious, estimates Mme Borges Da Silva. “If we had [des tests rapides] indefinitely, an asymptomatic person who goes to see an elderly person in a CHSLD or who is going to attend a family reunion could and should self-test, ”she argues.
1900
Number of pharmacies where rapid tests are distributed in Quebec
4.2 million
Number of tests distributed or being distributed in Quebec in pharmacies
Source: Quebec Association of Pharmacy Distributors
The private sector should be involved, argues an expert
All over Quebec, screening clinics have been taken by storm in recent days, with queues of several hours. A good number of people were refused on their arrival, the maximum capacity having already been reached for the day. According to Marie-Pascale Pomey, an expert in public policies at the School of Public Health of the University of Montreal, it might be worthwhile to consider greater collaboration from the private sector in the future. “In some private laboratories, there is still a lot of room and space, but people have to pay,” she argues. There should be service corridors open to the private sector which are supported by the public, or at least we should think about a much closer collaboration. “If the epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf agrees with this, she supports, just like Mme Pomey, that there is no “quick fix” to queues in front of screening centers. “We have run out of resources, and these resources are running out of steam,” says Mr.me Machouf. We collectively need to reduce contact, and the rest is time. In some places, rapid tests are distributed in queues for screening, she notes. “It’s a very good idea”, remarks Mme Machouf, who is also a member of the COVID-Stop collective, bringing together doctors and scientists.
Henri Ouellette-Vézina, Press