'No sign of life' at crash site of helicopter carrying Iran's president
Rescuers on Monday found a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which had crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran the day before.
As concerns over the spread of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant seep into Canadians' holiday plans, experts say rapid tests could be used to help protect those looking to get together with friends and family. However, they warn that the tests aren't perfect.
Dr. Nitin Mohan, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Western University, told CTVNews.ca that rapid antigen tests, which can provide on the spot results in about 20 minutes, can "absolutely" be used to further protect Canadians who plan to spend time with family and friends this holiday season.
"What rapid tests do is they provide an indication of someone's status at that time," Mohan said in a telephone interview Monday. "[It] provides an extra layer of data that gives you an idea of where you're sitting in terms of the possibility to transmit the virus to those who are more vulnerable."
However, Mohan said rapid tests are "only one of many layers of protection" against COVID-19 and do not replace vaccines. He says those looking to gather over the holidays should be fully vaccinated and have a booster shot if they are eligible.
"Omicron, if not now, very shortly will be the dominant strain in Canada," Mohan said. "So if you want to be extra cautious taking a rapid test prior to the event to ensure that you know you are not transmitting the virus to anyone that's there, I think that's a good idea."
Mohan acknowledged that "nothing is as accurate as" the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are widely considered the "gold standard" for COVID-19 testing in Canada, but have a longer turnaround time -- usually up to three days. However, he said rapid tests are "within the 80th and the 90th percentile of sensitivity and specificity," and can help to identify COVID-19 cases quickly.
"We're not looking at a 99 per cent confidence in terms of the rapid test, but they are still quite high," Mohan said. "So I think there's still a clear inherent value in folks using rapid tests."
Dr. Fahad Razak, a member of the Ontario Science Table and an internal medicine physician at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto, told CTV News Channel that rapid antigen tests have an "important role" at this point in the pandemic as more transmissible variants continue to emerge.
"The evaluation that we did was based on the Delta variant, which is extremely infectious," he said Thursday. "We know Omicron is probably even more infectious than Delta."
Razak said current data suggests that the rapid antigen tests are "very effective" at screening asymptomatic individuals for the current version of the COVID-19 virus that is circulating.
Razak said the accuracy of the rapid antigen tests depends on the characteristic of the virus and explained that as the virus becomes more infectious, the tests actually work better.
Despite this, Razak emphasized that rapid antigen tests should be used for surveillance in asymptomatic people.
"This is for surveillance in a population where you're starting to get an increased spread, and you want to prevent those outbreaks from occurring," he said. "And with Delta, these tests seem to work extremely well in that kind of application."
However, Dr. Matthew Oughton, an infectious disease specialist at the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University in Montreal, said it is important to remember that rapid tests aren't perfect.
"It's not perfect and no one should assume that, especially with rapid tests, that a single negative test means that it's absolutely impossible that you have an infection and could be contagious," Oughton said in a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca on Monday.
While a negative result from a rapid test may make the possibility of infection less likely, Oughton said it "still doesn't preclude the possibility" that someone could attend a get together without knowing they are infected.
But because the Omicron is "not only more infectious, but even more rapidly infectious," Oughton said rapid tests can be a good tool to use when deciding to see family over the holidays, if used properly and in a timely manner.
"With Omicron, that means that you can't rely on a negative test that is old," Oughton said. "So If you're going to some sort of get together, then it really makes sense to do that rapid test very soon before that gathering happens."
However, he stressed that if an asymptomatic individual receives a positive rapid test result, or develops COVID-19 symptoms, they will still need to get a PCR test at a testing centre and should "govern themselves as infectious" until the results of a PCR test are received.
Amid concerns over Omicron spread, Oughton said Canadians need to continue to take caution over the holidays, adding that that rapid tests aren't the only measure Canadians should use when gathering.
He said maintaining current public health measures, including handwashing, wearing a face mask and reducing social contacts, can help mitigate risk over the holidays.
"Even if you do a rapid test the day of a party and even if the rapid test is negative, but if you start having symptoms, then I would encourage people to not go to that get together because there's always a possibility that the rapid test missed it," Oughton said.
With files from CTVNews.ca's Hannah Jackson
Rescuers on Monday found a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which had crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran the day before.
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.