THE GOLD STANDARD: PCR TEST

Most COVID-19 tests detect the virus's RNA with a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Patient samples are sent to a lab that looks for the novel coronavirus's genetic material.

Samples can be collected through a throat swab or most commonly, through a nasopharyngeal swab, which is inserted deep into the nose. Because it goes relatively deeply, the sample needs to be collected at a COVID-19 assessment centre by a health-care worker.

However, Friday, the government of British Columbia announced a new, less-invasive method for children between the ages of four and 19. Children receive a sterile saltwater solution that they swish and gargle three times before spitting it into a tube. The tube is still sent to a lab for PCR testing. It can take hours to process, and results take at least one day.

“The big difference is convenience. Rather than having to go and get samples, anybody could collect that sample,” says Tuite.

“If you were a parent, you could get a sample from your child without a health-care worker. If you had a child who was symptomatic and in a school setting, a teacher or a public health nurse could supervise and collect the sample. So you don't actually have to go to an assessment centre to get that sample collected.”

B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the saliva-based test was developed in B.C. and is the first of its kind in the world. It will be available in COVID-19 collection and assessment centres across B.C.