Last updated: March 29, 2023
Update: Please note MGH’s take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits are no longer available or accepted for processing after February 26, 2023. If you need a COVID-19 test or treatment, please visit a Clinical Assessment Centre or testing site in Toronto.
Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) is distributing take-home COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits to schools, child care centres and families in East Toronto. The kits are one of the many ways that MGH is helping to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about the take-home test kits below.
1. Who can use MGH's take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits?
Effective December 31, 2021, take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits provided by MGH will be prioritized for symptomatic students, education staff and high-risk individuals in East Toronto who meet testing eligibility. COVID-19 symptoms may include common cold and flu symptoms (see Question 3).
2. Where can I get a take-home COVID-19 PCR test kit?
Update: Please note MGH’s take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits are no longer available or accepted for processing after February 26, 2023. If you need a COVID-19 test or treatment, please visit a Clinical Assessment Centre or testing site in Toronto.
3. When should I use a take-home COVID-19 PCR test kit?
If students, education staff or high-risk individuals meet testing eligibility and have at least one of these cold, flu and/or COVID-19 symptoms:
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Any other common cold and flu symptoms
*Some of these symptoms are not included in Ontario's school screening guidelines. However, it is important that you complete a test if you, your child or family member have any of these symptoms so we can find positive COVID-19 cases and stop the spread as early as possible. COVID-19 symptoms are often indistinguishable from cold and flu symptoms.
4. How does the take-home COVID-19 PCR test kit work?
MGH's take-home PCR test kits are oral-nasal swabs that can be collected by staff, children and families at home. This means they do not need to be done by a healthcare provider.
This helps make COVID-19 testing as easy and convenient as possible for symptomatic students, education staff and high-risk individuals who meet testing eligibility. Every kit comes with instructions for how to administer the test at home, where to drop it off for processing and how to get the results.
An oral-nasal swab involves rubbing the inside of the mouth and the front of the nose with a swab for less than five seconds. It is less invasive than the nasopharyngeal (NP) swab that is commonly used for COVID-19 tests.
This helps increase the likelihood that children and youth will have pleasant testing experiences. The oral-nasal test is a laboratory-validated PCR test, not a rapid antigen test. This means a second test is not needed to confirm a positive result. Results should be available at covid19.tehn.ca within 48 hours.
During cold and flu season, patients may also be tested for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) through this PCR test. If you test positive for COVID-19, influenza or RSV, a healthcare provider from MGH will contact you to conduct a virtual assessment and discuss results.
5. How do I administer a take-home COVID-19 PCR test kit?
Watch the video below to see how the oral-nasal swab works. The video can also be accessed here: tehn.ca/OralNasalSwab
6. Where do I drop off a completed take-home COVID-19 PCR test kit?
Update: Please note MGH’s take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits are no longer available or accepted for processing after February 26, 2023. If you need a COVID-19 test or treatment, please visit a Clinical Assessment Centre or testing site in Toronto.