The height of the pandemic with physical distancing, vaccine mandates and masking may seem like a distant memory. In reality, COVID-19 hasn't gone away, though the extraordinary measures and outsized impact of the virus on Canadians' daily lives have.
With the World Health Organization warning about a surge in infections worldwide, here is what you need to know about COVID-19 test kits, including where you can find them and whether you can use expired ones.
Health Canada has authorized three types of self-tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Certain self-tests can be used with or without symptoms while others should only be used if you have symptoms, according to Health Canada.
Canada mainly uses nucleic acid-based testing, or molecular testing, to diagnose COVID-19, with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) being the most common one.
Rapid antigen detection tests, commonly known as COVID-19 rapid tests, are used to detect virus proteins.
"While the technology is advancing, antigen tests are generally less sensitive than molecular tests for diagnosing COVID-19 in people who have no symptoms of illness (asymptomatic)," the Public Health Agency of Canada wrote on its website.
However, antigen tests are useful for screening asymptomatic people if they are tested at regular intervals, it pointed out. Serial testing is usually done two to three times over 36 hours.
Serology, or an antibody test, determines if you have antibodies to the virus, though it can't show if you have protective immunity.
With some tests expiring by the end of the year, health officials say you can use expired tests in certain cases.
Health Canada says the manufacturer determines the expiry date, which is on the label.
Health Canada has also granted several shelf-life extensions for rapid tests. It recommends contacting the manufacturer to confirm the expiry date of those tests.
Despite the extensions, Health Canada said the results of expired tests may not be accurate and Canadians should "use unexpired tests and follow the provided instructions carefully."
Most rapid tests can be stored and used for 24 months after their manufacturing dates, according to Francis Martel from the communications department at Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services, citing modified guidance by Health Canada.
"As a result, the expiry date indicated on the test kits does not always reflect the actual expiry date," Martel wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "Extensions to the shelf life are often issued after a test has been manufactured or distributed."
"In most cases, Health Canada has not reviewed the evidence demonstrating the continued safety and effectiveness of a test beyond its expiry date (whether it is the original or extended expiry date)," Martel added. "As expired test results may be inaccurate, it is recommended that you use unexpired tests."
Expired tests can be safely thrown out with regular household waste, according to the Manitoba government.
Those who are in contact with vulnerable people, are at risk of becoming severely ill or who have never had COVID are encouraged to get a rapid screening test done as soon they develop symptoms.
Provinces and territories are responsible for COVID-19 testing, including distributing rapid tests, according to Health Canada.
Free rapid tests may be available depending on the province, although some free distribution programs have discontinued because of lower demand and fewer infections.
Click here for more information on testing and where to find test kits in your province or territory.
Police in Kingston, Ont. say a standoff is underway between officers and a suspect following a triple stabbing Thursday morning.
The family of a Sikh man from Brampton is seeking an apology, an explanation, and a promise to do better from the local hospital network after they say the facial hair of their loved one was removed without their consent.
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Air Canada is asking the federal government to be ready to intervene in its labour talks with its pilots as time is running out before a potential shutdown.
A British Columbia Realtor has been fined thousands of dollars after a property listing was found to contain photos that were digitally altered to hide peeling paint and show furnishings that did not exist.
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The family of a Sikh man from Brampton is seeking an apology, an explanation, and a promise to do better from the local hospital network after they say the facial hair of their loved one was removed without their consent.
Three people are dead after an "incident" in Lloydminster, RCMP have confirmed.
Police in Kingston, Ont. say a standoff is underway between officers and a suspect following a triple stabbing Thursday morning.
A Winnipeg man has been charged with multiple offences after sex dolls designed to look like children were seized from his home.
A British Columbia Realtor has been fined thousands of dollars after a property listing was found to contain photos that were digitally altered to hide peeling paint and show furnishings that did not exist.
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Disgraced ex-movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on additional sex crimes charges in New York ahead of a retrial in his landmark #MeToo case, Manhattan prosecutors said at a court hearing Thursday.
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A judge declined Thursday to vacate the conviction and death sentence of Marcellus Williams, a Missouri man scheduled for execution later this month in the stabbing death of a woman in 1998, despite questions about DNA evidence on the knife used in the attack.
Mexico is poised to amend its constitution this weekend to require all judges to be elected as part of a judicial overhaul championed by the outgoing president but slammed by critics as a blow to the country's rule of law.
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. President Donald Trump are making a beeline for swing states that they hope to flip in their favour this year, both of them trying to expand their narrow paths to victory in a closely fought presidential campaign.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says her party will introduce a bill in the House of Commons next week to protect people from online harassment.
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After years of speculation and hype, Sony will be launching an upgraded version of its popular PlayStation 5 at the console’s highest ever price.
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Taylor Swift's dominance continued at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she took home seven awards — including the night's biggest, the trophy for video of the year.
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Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi and a video production assistant persuaded a woman standing on the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville to come back over the railing to safety.
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Canada Bread is accusing Maple Leaf Foods of using it as a 'shield' to avoid liability in the alleged bread price-fixing scheme that's the subject of two class-action lawsuits and an ongoing Competition Bureau investigation.
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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill acknowledged Wednesday that he could have handled himself better in the initial moments of a weekend traffic stop that left him handcuffed and pulled out of his car by police officers near the team's stadium.
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The London police are investigating a shooting that took place on Boullee Street in London Wednesday afternoon.
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Cinefest Sudbury announced the eight finalists in the annual CTV Best in Shorts competition Thursday.
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Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
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