The Australian Medical Association (AMA) of Western Australia is warning of the potential for COVID transmission among people waiting to be tested.
According to national health guidelines you must isolate at home if you return a positive result on a rapid antigen test (RAT).
But the WA Department of Health has confirmed those who test positive with a RAT must present for a PCR and wait alongside anyone else getting a test.
Rapid antigen tests are expected to become more common in WA as the state government secures supplies over the coming months.
A WA Health spokeswoman said this was because a PCR could return a more accurate result.
"If a RAT shows a non-negative reading, the person is treated like anyone else at the clinic — they must wear a mask, distance themselves from others and are treated by staff wearing full PPE," she said.
Positive RATs in the ranks
AMA WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said it was time to review the protocol.
"If one group is highly suspected to be positive for COVID – having been to an exposure site and returned a positive RAT – and another group is just there to get a screening as a precaution, you've got the potential to spread COVID," he said.
Dr Duncan-Smith said the advice needed to change as community cases increased in Perth and Bunbury and that all suspected positive cases should be kept separate from everyone else.
"In this situation we should assume a positive RAT is a positive COVID case until proven otherwise," he said.
"People in the community who have a few symptoms should be streamed differently to someone who's got a positive [RAT] in that environment."
Opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam said it was disappointing a more cautious approach was not being taken.
"It just makes sense that someone with a positive RAT should be separated," she said.
"A positive rapid antigen test should be taken seriously when there's localised outbreaks.
