COVID-19 Clinical Assessment Centre

If you are at higher risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19, you are eligible for PCR or rapid molecular testing and should seek out testing as soon as possible if you develop symptoms and belong to any of the following groups:

• People aged 60 years of age and older
• People aged 18 years of age and older who have at least one condition that puts them at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease
• People aged 18 years of age and older who are unvaccinated or have not completed their first round of vaccinations (e.g., their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines)
• People aged 18 years of age and older who have received their first round of vaccinations (or primary series) AND received their last COVID-19 vaccine dose more than 6 months ago AND have not had a COVID-19 infection in the past 6 months
• People who are immunocompromised

You are eligible for PCF or rapid molecular testing if you have COVID-19 symptoms and belong to any of the following groups:

• Pregnant people
• Patients seeking emergency medical care or other outpatients where the health care professional judges it to be necessary
• Health care workers providing patient care
• Staff, volunteers, residents/inpatients, essential care providers, and visitors in highest risk settings including hospitals and congregate living settings with medically and socially vulnerable individuals, including international agriculture workers
• Household members of staff in highest risk settings and patient-facing health care workers
• Home and community care workers
• People who are underhoused or experiencing homelessness
• First responders, including firefighters, police and paramedics

You are also eligible for PCR or rapid molecular testing if you belong to any of the following groups whether you have symptoms or not:

• Individuals who are from a First Nation, Inuit, Métis community, and/or who self-identify as First Nation, Inuit, and Métis, and their household members
• Individuals travelling into First Nation, Inuit, Métis communities for work
• On admission/transfer to or from hospital or congregate living setting
• People in the context of confirmed or suspected outbreaks in highest risk settings as directed by the local public health unit
• Individuals, and one accompanying caregiver, with written prior approval for out-of-country medical services from the General Manager, Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)
• Any patient with a scheduled surgical procedure requiring a general anaesthetic 24-48 hours prior to procedure date
• Newborns born to people with confirmed COVID-19 at the time of birth within 24 hours of delivery, with a repeat test at 48 hours after birth if baseline test is negative, or if the parental test results are pending at the time of discharge
• People 24-48 hours prior to treatment for cancer or prior to hemodialysis, at the discretion of the treating clinician
• Staff of highest risk settings who, within the last 10 days, have had close contact with an individual with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 or an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, for the purposes of facilitating return to work, as directed by sector-specific guidance or Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) or Occupational Health staff

Clinical assessments test and provide treatment options for the individuals who know or suspect they have COVID-19 if they:

• have been directed by your primary care provider or another health care professional, or
• have been directed by your primary care provider or another health care professional, or- are unable to safely monitor your symptoms at home, or
• are at higher risk of severe illness, including:
  • immunocompromised individuals aged 18 and over, regardless of vaccine status
  • unvaccinated individuals aged 60 and over
  • unvaccinated First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals aged 50 and over
  • unvaccinated individuals aged 50 and over with one or more risk factors

You should bring a list of your medications and any important medical conditions to your assessment.

If you have one or more of the following symptoms, you should immediately call 911 or go to the emergency department:

• severe difficulty breathing (struggling for each breath, can only speak in single words)
• severe chest pain (constant tightness or crushing sensation)
• feeling confused or unsure of where you are- losing consciousness

Health Sciences North is providing outpatient treatments for the early treatment of COVID-19. Once an assessment has been completed, a treatment plan will be recommended to individuals by the COVID-19 Clinical Assessment Centre staff.

Treatments are for outpatients with COVID-19 who have a referral from either their personal care physician or a physician from the HSN COVID-19 Assessment Centre and are at high-risk of severe illness.