Health IQ: COVID-19 rapid test controversy

COVID-19 rapid test controversy

A COVID-19 rapid test importer landed an estimated $2 billion in federal contracts in 2021 and 2022, despite giving regulators incomplete data about its product’s accuracy, a Global News investigation found.

The year-long investigation into federal procurement revealed that BTNX, a small rapid test supplier based outside Toronto, deleted dozens of specimens, or samples, from a study it submitted to Health Canada. That evaluation showed how well the company’s test detected COVID-19.

The deletions made BTNX’s test appear more reliable and sensitive than it was, according to researchers Global News consulted.

The device could detect the virus in users who were the most contagious, but results from leading regulators’ evaluation programs indicate BTNX’s test was much less dependable in all other cases.

This apparent flaw meant the test kit was more likely to produce false-negative results, which, many experts said, put Canadian lives at risk.

BTNX told Global News that it did not offer Health Canada or Canadians inaccurate information about its test.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the test controversy Thursday, saying, “There’s no doubt (there are) lots of lessons to learn about things that worked really well, about things that we probably won’t be doing again in the next pandemic when it comes.”

Read more about the investigation and whether the original lime-green rapid response kit is still circulating in Canada.

COVID-19 challenges amid festive joy

As families eagerly gear up for festive feasts and joyful moments this Christmas, their excitement is accompanied by a sobering reality — a surge in COVID-19 cases in certain provinces.

Across Canada, the percentage of weekly positive COVID-19 tests was 17.4 per cent as of Dec. 19, with provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island seeing the highest spike in cases, according to the latest numbers from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Spikes in other respiratory illnesses, like influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are also making the rounds.

From Dec. 3 to Dec. 9, the weekly percentage of tests positive for influenza rose to 13.2 per cent, up from 9.9 per cent the week prior, PHAC numbers show.

Despite the surge in illnesses, health experts say there are ways to stay safe around the holidays.

One essential step is to receive vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV if you meet the eligibility criteria (for people 60 and older), Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre, told Global News.

Read more about ways to safeguard your health this holiday season.

— THE TOPIC —

As Ozempic use grows, poison calls rise for injectable weight-loss drugs

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

As drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy rise in popularity, there have been increased calls about injectable drugs often used for weight loss to some poison control centres in parts of Canada, according to data gathered by Global News.

These come from people experiencing adverse side effects from the medications, or even what some officials consider an “overdose.”

At least three provinces — Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba — have each reported an increased number of calls involving semaglutide, Ozempic’s generic name, to its poison control centres this year, with each seeing more than a 50 per cent increase compared with 2022, though the numbers do not specify if the calls are from diabetes users or those taking it for weight loss.

In Ontario and Manitoba, the tallies include reports for both semaglutide and liraglutide, which is used to treat diabetes but has also been approved for weight-loss use, and neither provided further breakdowns.

Jen Belcher, vice-president of strategic initiatives at the Ontario Pharmacists Association, told Global News that a rising rate of calls about dosing errors is not unexpected given that the total number of people using Ozempic and similar drugs has increased “quite dramatically” in the past several years.

“With that overall increase in the total number of prescriptions being dispensed, the number of people who might have errors related to dose or be seeking assistance, you know, that absolute value, of course will increase as well,” she said.

Dr. Sean Wharton, an internal medicine physician, told Global News that while there have been several calls to these centres, he believes it is “not concerning.”

He said because the drugs, which are relatively new and people might not know how to use them properly, are seeing greater uptake, there is an “expected increase” in side effects.

“It’s not an overdose, it’s a side-effect profile,” he said, adding that it is something you can call your family doctor about.

Please note: There will be no Health IQ next week. Weekly editions of the newsletter will resume on Jan. 7, 2024.