COVID-19: Rapid Antigen home test kit gets approval - know guidelines and method of use

Rapid Antigen kits to help conduct the COVID-19 test at home got a green signal on Wednesday. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued detailed guidelines on who can use it and how. ICMR is the nodal body in the fight against the virus

The ICMR has made it clear that only symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of people who tested positive in the laboratory should use the home test. However, the top medical body has advised against the indiscriminate use of the kit in testing.

"All individuals who test positive may be considered as true positives and NO repeat testing is required. All symptomatic individuals who test negative by RAT should get themselves immediately tested by RTPCR," the ICMR said.

Giving details of how to conduct this test, the ICMR said that it has approved one kit called CoviSelf for the purpose of home testing. Only a nasal swab will be required for this rapid antigen testing.

ICMR issues advisory for #COVID19 home testing using Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) pic.twitter.com/3M4kctCpk3

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2021

"CoviSelf test is authorised for non-prescription home use with self-collected nasal swab specimens from individuals aged 18 years and older or with adult-collected samples from individuals aged 2 years or older."

How Rapid Antigen kit works

The kit comes in a pouch containing a nasal swab and a pre-filled extraction tube and one test card.

Users will have to download the Mylab app on their mobile phones, where the credentials have to be filled.

Without touching the swab head, insert the swab inside both the nostrils up to 2 to 3 centimetres. Roll the swab five times inside each nostril.

Dip the swab in the tube, pinch the tube at the bottom and swirl the nasal swab 10 times to ensure that the swab is immersed well in the tube.

The swab has to be broken from the breakpoint. Covering the tube, two drops have to be added to the test kit by pressing.

One has to wait for 15 minutes for the results to appear. Any result appearing after 20 minutes is considered invalid.

After 15 minutes is completed the app will ring and the result will be available on the app.