Health Canada issued a warning to Canadians on Thursday May 7 not to buy home diagnostic test kits, including mail-in sample collection kits claiming to diagnose or detect COVID-19, because they may provide inaccurate or false results.
“These products have not been authorized by Health Canada, which means they have not been reviewed for safety, quality or effectiveness,” the federal ministry said in a statement. However, Health Canada says it has authorized COVID-19 test kits intended for use only by healthcare professionals or trained operators.
Health Canada says it is continuing to monitor websites for false claims and is working with online retailers to ensure that unauthorized COVID-19 diagnostic or detection test kits are removed from their websites.
Health Canada says it is also working with the RCMP to take action when unauthorized test kits are found to be sold in Canada, including a recent seizure of over 1500 test kits in B.C.
The federal ministry warns that selling or advertising health products that make false or misleading claims is illegal in Canada, and that it takes the issue seriously and will use all mechanisms and tools at its disposal to stop such activities.
What to do: If you have purchased an unauthorized test kit that claims to diagnose or detect COVID‑19, Health Canada advises you not use it or rely on its results. They say you should consult your local health authority for recommendations on testing and testing services for COVID-19. And if you have any information on the potential false or misleading advertising or sale of products that have not been authorized by Health Canada, you are advised to report it.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca
