Many infectious diseases are contagious before symptoms appear, so testing adds an important protective layer.Footnote 205 Workplace testing and screening can be implemented even if not legally required.Footnote 206 COVID testing has been widely used in workplaces and at events, notably as a key tool in the film industry.Footnote 207 Home tests are now available for many other illnesses, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep.
Some types of tests for workplaces and events may include:
- PCR test: Molecular lab test, often considered the gold standard for accurate diagnosis;Footnote 208 may take 24 hours or longer to get a result. While common earlier in the pandemic, COVID-19 PCR testing is not as widely available as in past years
- Rapid antigen test (RAT): Can be self-administered at home or before entering a venue; gives results in 15-30 minutes. May not catch all infections due to lower sensitivity; it's important to repeat tests and continue using other precautionsFootnote 209
- Home nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT): Molecular test that can be done at home or at a venue; combines rapid results with PCR-like accuracy.Footnote 210 A promising emerging technology, but currently mostly available outside Canada
| Possible challenges | Possible solutions |
|---|---|
| Cost | Seek free tests from mask bloc mutual aid groups or pharmacies;Footnote 211 consider pooled testing (screening multiple people with one test);Footnote 212 some products test for multiple illnesses at once |
| Privacy | Follow privacy laws for your jurisdiction; keep test results confidential; consider home testing; anonymize exposure notifications |
| Comfort | Tests are painless; consider spit tests if available for those who struggle with nose and mouth swabsFootnote 213 |
| Safety | Train people to self-test at home; if testing at venue, use staggered arrival, layered protections, and separate areas |
| Low test sensitivity (false negatives) | Repeat tests over time; treat positive results seriously, but negative ones skeptically; combine with symptom screening and other layered protections |
| No tests for specific illness | Use symptom self-screening (e.g., for new fever, cough, diarrhea, rash) |
It's important to have a plan for if someone tests positive or develops symptoms of contagious illness. This can include:
- Ways to isolate someone and send them home
- Notifying others of an exposure (while maintaining confidentiality), and increasing health & safety measures
- Providing support and resources for affected individual(s), including information about post-viral and infection-associated chronic illnesses (e.g., Long COVID) if applicable
- Planning for return-to-work: rest is critical during illness recovery.Footnote 214 People may still be contagious after symptoms resolve.Footnote 215 Some workplaces use rapid tests to determine a safe return to work, a practice the World Health Organization recommends for COVID-19Footnote 216
Learn more:
- COVID rapid test instruction video and FAQ | Protect Our Province BC
- Mask bloc directory and worldwide mask bloc directory | Community-maintained
- Long COVID essentials | The Sick Times x Long COVID Justice
- Chronic symptoms following infections | CDC
- Summary of privacy laws in Canada | Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Footnotes (12)
- Nabila Shaikh et al., “Asymptomatic but Infectious — the Silent Driver of Pathogen Transmission: A Pragmatic Review,” Epidemics 44 (2023): 100704, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epidem.2023.100704. Back to text
- “Screening for Respiratory Infectious Diseases (RIDs),” Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, last modified September 12, 2023, https://www.ccohs.ca/infectious-diseases/screening. Back to text
- Canada, “Workplace Screening Success Stories,” COVID-19 Rapid Testing and Screening in Workplaces: What Employers Should Know, Government of Canada, last modified August 2, 2022, https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/testing-screening-contact-tracing/workplace/screening-success-stories.html; Tommy Beer, “Here Are The Bands Requiring Fans To Provide Proof Of Vaccination Or A Negative Covid Test To Attend Their Shows,” Forbes, August 12, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/08/12/here-are-the-bands-requiring-fans-to-provide-proof-of-vaccination-or-a-negative-covid-test-to-attend-their-shows/; Rossol, “Comparison of Two,” 171–72. Back to text
- Canada, “National Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Testing Indication Guidance for COVID-19,” Public Health Agency of Canada, last modified October 7, 2020, https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/guidance-documents/national-laboratory-testing-indication.html. Back to text
- Apurv Soni et al., “Performance of Rapid Antigen Tests to Detect Symptomatic and Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Prospective Cohort Study,” Annals of Internal Medicine 176, no. 7 (2023): 975–82, https://doi.org/10.7326/M23-0385; Health Canada, “Updated Policy Position COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Self-Testing Devices Used for Serial Testing: Notice to Industry,” Health Canada, last modified December 4, 2023, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/medical-devices/testing/notice-updated-policy-rapid-antigen-self-testing-devices-serial.html. Back to text
- Amanda Blum, “The Four Rapid COVID ‘PCR’ Style Tests You Can Take at Home (and Why You Should),” Lifehacker, October 21, 2024, https://lifehacker.com/where-to-find-a-pcr-covid-test-and-why-you-need-one-1850779459. Back to text
- MaskBloc.Org, “Mask Blocs and Other Community Providers”; Mask Bloc Directory, “Find a Mask Bloc Near You”; “Rapid Antigen Test in Pharmacies — Map View,” British Columbia Pharmacy Association, last modified March 6, 2026, https://www.bcpharmacy.ca/rapid-tests/map. Back to text
- COVID-19 Return to Work Agreement as of July 19, 2021 (DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA and Teamsters/Basic Crafts, 2021), 55–57, https://downloads.adc.ep.com/doc/July_2021_revisions_to_RTW_Agreement.pdf; Nol Salcedo et al., “Pooling of Samples for SARS-CoV-2 Detection Using a Rapid Antigen Test,” Frontiers of Tropical Diseases 2 (2021): 707865, https://doi.org/10.3389/fitd.2021.707865. Back to text
- Australian Government Department of Health, How to Do a Rapid Antigen Test with Your Spit (Australian Government Department of Health, 2022), https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/how-to-do-a-rapid-antigen-test-with-your-saliva-easy-read_0.pdf; “Saliva-Based COVID-19 Test Approved by Health Canada Could Reduce Discomfort of Nasal Swab,” CBC News, August 14, 2022, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/saliva-based-covid-19-test-approved-by-health-canada-could-reduce-discomfort-of-nasal-swab-1.6550926. Back to text
- Ducharme, “Why You Should Rest”; World Physiotherapy, Safe Rehabilitation Approaches, 1–3; Davis et al., “Characterizing Long COVID,” 11; #MEAction, “Stop Rest Pace.” Back to text
- Paul K. Drain et al., “Duration of Viral Infectiousness and Correlation with Symptoms and Diagnostic Testing in Non-Hospitalized Adults During Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Longitudinal Cohort Study,” Journal of Clinical Virology 161 (2023): 105420, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2023.105420. Back to text
- “Using Rapid Antigen Testing for Early, Safe Return-to-Work for Healthcare Personnel after SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Healthcare System in Pakistan: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study,” PLOS Global Public Health 3, no. 3 (2023): e0001746, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001746; World Health Organization, Clinical Management of COVID-19: Living Guideline (World Health Organization, 2023), https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-clinical-2023.2. Back to text