Coronavirus has been here for more than a year and a half. Everyone in the world has faced problems and crises due to corona and its impact are devastating.
Earlier people did not have the option and had to go to the Covid test center for their check-ups. Now they do have an option to test whether they have Covid at home itself. Home tests are a quick way to tell if we suffer from the coronavirus or not.
Can You Do Covid-19 Test At Home?
Covid tests at home can be of two types basically. Either you can send your sample collected at your home to labs for the analysis, or rapid test kits are also available to easily give you results at home within a few minutes.
There is one relieving news for us people. An institution in Pune has been able to develop home-based Covid Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) Kit. This kit is even ICMR Approved. But not everyone is allowed to take the Rapid Antigen Test kit to test their results.
ICMR recently cleared out that this rapid antigen home testing should be taken by only those individuals who are symptomatic and those individuals who were in immediate contact with laboratory-confirmed positive cases. This was issued by ICMR to avoid unwanted use and shortage of Rapid Antigen Test Kits in the country.
If an individual tests negative in the rapid antigen test kit, but he or she is symptomatic, they should get themselves immediately tested through RT-PCR. The reason is that there is the possibility that the rapid antigen test may miss a few positive cases that have a low viral load.
The symptomatic individuals who received a negative test in rapid antigen test shall be treated as susceptive Covid cases. They should follow all the necessary guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the ICMR institute to perform home isolation until they await their RT- PCR test result.
Now let us discuss some of the important points that an individual needs to know about a home-based rapid antigen testing kit. India’s first-ever rapid antigen testing kit was developed by Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Mylab Discovery Solutions Ltd, Pune, which manufactured these home-based rapid antigens testing kits. This MyLab’s rapid antigen testing kit comes with simple and easy instructions, easy to be followed.
The name of this home-based rapid antigen testing kit is CoviSelfTM (PatchoCatch) Covid- 19 OTC Antigen LF Device. You can perform your Covid test at home with just a nasal swab. This rapid antigen test kit comes with a pre-filled extraction tube, a biohazard bag, one test card, and a sterile nasal swab.
The person should download the Mylab co itself app onto their mobile phone to use the rapid antigen test. This app is available to download at the Apple store and Google Play store as well. To proceed with the testing procedure, users need to download the application.
The application helps you in the completion of the procedure with simple guidance and also shows the results when they arrive in a few minutes. But how do we understand how is the result? The test card comprises two sections, known as the control section and the test section.
If the bar indicates only the Control section ‘C’, the test result is negative. If the bar shows up on both the control section and the test section (T), the rapid test is considered positive.
The test kit has been priced around ₹ 250 per kit. The rapid antigen test process is simple and quick. The test needs just two minutes, while you need to wait 15 minutes for the results. It has been recommended to use the same phone on which you registered and downloaded the application, to take a click of the test.
As we know currently these rapid antigen test kits will only be available for individuals who were in contact with positive patients and have the symptoms of potential Covid patients.
Be safe and always be careful while going out or after coming home. Covid has to be avoided at any cost. Wear your mask, maintain social distancing and wash your hands or use hand sanitizers frequently. It is better to avoid Covid by being alert and aware than to be taking tests and medications later.
Lacey Arlo is a wellness expert and a nutritionist who aims to help members with health and diet queries. Lacey Arlo has worked with junior, national, and Olympic-level athletes by providing them with customizing programmers, supplement strategies, and support during their travel and competition. From weight management, PCOD, thyroid-related weight loss, and nutrition for children to diets for pregnant and diets for senior citizens, She offers nutrition-aided solutions for different age groups with consideration for each person’s unique health demands.