India has tested samples ranging from 16 to 19 lakhs per day to detect Covid-19 cases. On May 19, India tested more than 20 lakh samples. Still, many complain that getting tested for Covid-19 by a laboratory is not easy, especially in cities with high case numbers and in areas where there are few pathology laboratories with set biosecurity levels.
Now the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a self-testing Covid-19 kit. Any person can use this kit to test their Covid-19 positivity at home. There is no need to go to a dedicated pathology laboratory to have the sample tested.
ALL ABOUT SELF-TESTING COVID-19 KIT
1 – The Covid-19 The test kit to be used at home is called CoviSelf. It is a rapid antigen test (RAT) for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. CoviSelf only tests the person’s nose sample, which is required to check Covid-19 status.
2 – The ICMR said Home tests of RAT is only recommended in symptomatic individuals and direct contacts from laboratory confirmed positive cases.
3 – No prescription from A doctor must test samples using CoviSelf kits. The test is “approved for non-prescription home use with self-collected nasal swab samples from people aged 18 and over or with adult-collected samples from people aged two and over,” said the ICMR.
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4 – The CoviSelf kit comes with a manual detailing how to do the Covid-19 test. The kit is contained in a pouch with a nasal swab, a pre-filled extraction tube and a test card.
5 – After obtaining the CoviSelf kit, users need to download the Mylab app on their phones and Fill out your credentials.
6 – The user has Be careful when collecting the nasal sample. Do not touch the swab head supplied with the kit. This swab must be inserted two to three centimeters into the nostrils and rolled five times into each nostril.
7 – Next, the user must dip the swab into the pre-filled extraction tube and pinch the tube at the bottom. Now the nasal swab needs to be rotated ten times to ensure that the part containing the sample is well immersed in the extraction buffer.
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8 – There is one Breakpoint marked on the swab. Break the swab and discard the rest while mixing it well in the extraction buffer. Cover the pipe with an attached nozzle cap and tighten the cap.
9- Now add two Squeeze the tube to add full drops of the extracted antigen buffer mixture to the sample well of the kit. The results will be displayed in 10-15 minutes. If the results are not reported within 20 minutes, it is Covid-19 negative. Results that are displayed after 20 minutes are invalid.
10 – The results will be be available in the app that the user downloaded on the phone. The app is centrally connected to the ICMR server and notifies the agency of the result. A positive result is confirmed. However, a negative result in a person who shows symptoms should be used for RT-PCR laboratory testing.
The ICMR said the people doing the CoviSelf test for Covid-19 have backed up their data. It is said that there is no risk to patient confidentiality. Mylab Discovery Solutions, the developer of the CoviSelf kit, said it would cost Rs 250 per test.
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