As Covid-19 cases skyrocket across the country, the central government has advised states to encourage the use of home test kits for symptomatic individuals.
In a letter to all chief secretaries, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava said that RTPCR-based testing leads to delays in confirming diagnosis due to its turnaround time of about five to eight hours.
“Therefore, you are encouraged to increase testing by the widespread use of rapid antigen tests (RATS) in such specific situations where RTPCR testing poses challenges,” the officials wrote.
The use of self-tests/home tests may be encouraged for symptomatic individuals, they said, adding seven such home testing kits have been approved so far.
Most of the test kits/products approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research are now available on the GeM portal and can be easily procured from GeM, the letter said.
Such kits are also available on various e-commerce platforms.
Which kits are approved by the ICMR?
- Mylab Discovery’s Coviself (Pathocatch) COVID-19 OTC Antigen LF device
- Abbott Rapid’s Panbio COVID-19 Antigen rapid test device
- Meril Diagnostics’ CoviFind COVID-19 Rapid Antigen self-test
- Angstrom Biotech’s Angtech COVID-19 home test kit
- Healgen Scientific Limited’s CliniTest COVID-19 Antigen self-test
- SD Biosensor Healthcare’s ULTRA Covi-Catch SARS-CoV-2 home test
- Nulife Care’s AbCheck Rapid Antigen self-test
When should you test yourself?
The best time to test is two or three days after exposure to someone who has the virus, according to Irene Petersen, a professor of epidemiology at University College London.
That’s because it varies when people start to become infectious. If you sat next to someone who had the virus on Friday, then you should get a test on Monday.
How to use a self-testing kit?
- Download the app mentioned on the testing kit and fill in your credentials.
- Sanitise your hands before using the kit and find a clean surface to place it on.
- Tap the pre-filled extraction tube to settle the liquid.
- Open the sterile nasal swab. Ensure you do not touch it.
- Insert the nasal swab in both nostrils one after the other up to 2-4 cms.
- Roll the swab five times in each nostril.
- Immerse the swabs in the pre-filled extraction tube and break it.
- Cover the tube with the nozzle cap.
What is the validity of self-testing kits’ results?
The ICMR has said that everybody who tests positive after using self-test kits does not require additional testing. Those who test negative may opt for RT-PCR testing.
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