In late November 2021, the Omicron variant was first reported in Canada, and started to spread quickly throughout the country. The rapid spread of Omicron resulted in the highest COVID-19 case counts of the pandemic, which put a strain on COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and increased the demand for rapid antigen testing. Results from an online crowdsource survey show that more than half of participants aged 15 and older (55%) reported using a rapid test between December 1, 2021 and the date of data collection (February 21 to March 13, 2022).
There are two main types of COVID-19 tests approved for use in Canada: PCR tests and rapid antigen tests.
Rapid antigen tests, used to screen for COVID-19, are often self-administered, produce a quicker test result but are considered less reliable than PCR testing. Canadians have been required to take or have chosen to take rapid tests for various reasons, including to attend work or school, out of caution when gathering with friends or family, as well as for travelling purposes. During the Omicron wave, Canada reached capacity limits for PCR tests and saw a dramatic increase in demand for COVID-19 rapid tests. At the same time, there were many anecdotal reports of Canadians experiencing difficulties obtaining rapid tests during this time. To better understand Canadians' experiences with COVID-19 testing during this period, Statistics Canada conducted an online crowdsource questionnaire, Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Testing and Vaccination.
From February 21 to March 13, 2022, 36,857 Canadians aged 15 and older participated in the crowdsource collection. Participants were asked a series of questions about their experiences with COVID-19 testing between December 1, 2021 and the date they completed their questionnaire. Unlike other surveys conducted by Statistics Canada, crowdsourcing data are not collected under a sampling design using probability-based sampling. Therefore, caution should be exercised when interpreting the findings. No inferences about the overall Canadian population should be made based on these results.
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