At-home rapid antigen tests are a key in stopping the spread of COVID-19, but it’s important to do them properly. MEDICO shares a step-by-step guide on how to use a common COVID test at home.
Suitable Crowd
1. Those with obvious symptoms: Those who have obvious respiratory symptoms, such as dry throat, cough, wheezing, accompanied by fever symptoms, and those who have symptoms within 5 days.
2. Isolation observers: including home isolation observation, close contact and sub-close contact, entry isolation observation, closed and controlled areas and personnel in control areas.
3. Others: Those who need antigen self-testing, if they feel unwell, can also conduct self-testing.
Operation Steps
1. Preparation for self-test: Wash your hands before opening the package, and carefully check that the package and contents are intact without damage, pollution, dryness and moisture, and can be used within the validity period.
2. Sample collection: After opening, read the instructions carefully, take out the sample extraction tube and test card, and put them in a clean and clean place.
(1) People over the age of 14: You can perform nasal swab sampling by yourself. The self-inspector first blows his nose with toilet paper, carefully unpacks the swab, and takes out the plastic end of the disposable swab in his hand to avoid touching the swab head with his hands. Then tilt the head slightly, hold the nasal swab in one hand and stick the tail of the nasal swab into one nostril and enter it, and slowly go back 1-1.5 cm along the bottom of the lower nasal passage. , then repeat the same operation for the other nasal cavity using the same swab.
(2) People aged 2-14 years: other adults should take the sampling. When sampling, the operation is the same as above.
3. Antigen detection: Insert the swab into the sample extraction tube, break the swab at the breakpoint, tighten the colored cap and let it stand for 1 minute, unscrew the transparent cap on the top of the extraction tube, and drop 4 drops of sample solution into the sample addition hole , and observe the results after 10-15 minutes.
Test Results
1. Positive result: red or purple strips are displayed at both “C” and “T” on the test card, and the color of the strip at “T” can be dark or light, all of which are positive results.
2. Negative results: a red or purple strip is displayed at “C” on the test card, but not at “T”.
3. Invalid result: no strip is displayed at “C” on the test card, regardless of whether it is displayed at “T”.
Considerations
Self-testers need to strictly follow the instructions. If the test card, extraction tube and swab are accidentally contaminated, they need to replace the test items for self-test in time. Positive results can be used for early triage and rapid management of suspected populations, and can only be used as supplementary evidence for the diagnosis of new coronavirus infection, and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis. The nucleic acid test results shall prevail.
