COVID-19 gargle test now available for adults in southwest B.C.
CBC News | Posted: November 18, 2020 7:05 PM | Last Updated: November 18, 2020
Test available across the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island
A saline gargle test is now available for adults in southwest B.C. who require a COVID-19 test.
The test is currently available across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island at community COVID-19 collection sites.
The test was first made available to school-age children in B.C. in September. It is less invasive than the swab test currently used to test for most COVID-19 cases.
"Unlike the nasopharyngeal swab, this is a new saline gargle, where you put a little bit of normal saline — so, the sterile water, in your mouth — you swish it around a little bit and you spit it into a little tube, and that's an easier way to collect it," said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in September.
B.C. health officials announced 717 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and 11 more deaths.
The numbers mark the highest single-day totals for new cases and deaths, the greatest number of people in hospital and the heaviest active caseload to date.