London, Ottawa students create website to track rapid COVID-19 test results in Ontario

As Omicron runs rampantacross the province with testing facilities that can't keep up, two Ontario studentshave taken matters into their own hands.

Elliot Hegel, a Western University nursing student, and a friend whois studying computer science at Carleton University, havecome up with a website for Ontarians to reporttheir COVID-19rapid antigen test results in either English or French.

Rapid Report Ontariocame together in a matter of daysafterOntario's top doctor Kieran Mooreannouncedon Dec. 30 thatthe province will be limiting who can get PCR tested.

"I did feel that was unfortunate, that [it] was a step that they had to take ... in order to protect Ontarians,"Hegel told CBC News.

"We need to have an understanding of where COVID-19 is in Ontario and who has COVID-19 in Ontario, just in broad demographic terms," he added.

The site was launched on Jan. 1 and hasseenhundreds of users.

The province is currently trackingresults for PCR tests. There is no government-backed database for rapid test results in Ontario.

An accessible system for all

Thereporting system is straightforward:Users select their language and indicate the result of their rapid test.Those are the only mandatory pieces.

There is an option to enter other information such as apostal code, symptomsand vaccinationstatusbut it's not a must.

Hegel said they streamlined the interface to make it accessible and easy to use. Peoplecanalso access data from theresults submitted on the website.

"I think that people have an interest and a right to know the COVID-19 situation in this province, especially as we come closer and closer to elementary schools reopening and high schools as well," said Hegel.

"We would like this data to be available to any epidemiologists, statisticians [and]population health researchers who could use this for their own studies," he added.

It'sstill a "work in progress," but Hegel hopes to roll it out to places that don't already have a self-reporting tool.

"Ultimately, I think that it's actually kind of unfortunate that we had to create this website because I really think this is the responsibility of the government to help protect Ontarians and they need to have this understanding," said Hegel.