In its latest advisory released on Wednesday, the Indian Council of Medical Research has approved self-testing kits where citizens will be able to conduct diagnostic tests at home without the need of a healthcare worker. Giving its nod to Mylab's Coviself Rapid Antigen Test kits, ICMR mentioned that only nasal swabs will be required for conducting this procedure. Further, the top authority has advised against indiscriminate testing, stating that only symptomatic individuals must use these home kits.
ICMR issues a comprehensive index of detailed guidelines
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As per the advisory, the test must be conducted only on symptomatic individuals and those who have been in contact with laboratory-confirmed cases. It is mandatory to download the application for conducting the test and all data recorded by it will be centrally linked to the ICMR server while maintaining the confidentiality of the patient. If a person tests positive then repeat testing is not required and he/she must quickly move into isolation and follow all guidelines laid by ICMR and MoHFW.
If a symptomatic patient tests negative, he/she must immediately undertake RT/PCR test because RAT tests may fail to detect cases with low viral loads. Such patients will be treated as COVID suspects and they will follow the related protocol. Additionally, it is essential to adhere to the instructions laid by the manufacturer and a proper disposal procedure must be followed.
How to use the kit?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06vx2_ZPHkQ&t=7s caption="Covid-19%20Test%20at%20Home%20%7C%20CoviSelf%20%7C%20Mylab%20%7C%20Antigen%20Test" site_id=20074994 expand=1 photo_credit=""] Covid-19 Test at Home | CoviSelf | Mylab | Antigen Test
Here all the essential steps needed to perform the test effectively-
- Download the Mylab Coviself App from Google Play or Appstore and fill in your credentials before starting with the test
- Find a clean place for conducting the test and clean your hands properly before opening the kit
- After opening the kit, lay the contents on a table. The pouch contains an instruction manual, prefilled extraction tube, sterile nasal swab, test card, and a biohazard bag
- Take the extraction tube and tap it softly 3-4 times at the bottom ensuring that the liquid settles down
- Open the cap of the tube and tear the wrap of the nasal swab and hold it from the tail end. Thereafter, insert the swab head in both your nostrils one after the other, up to 2-4 cms. Make sure that you roll the swab 5 times in both nostrils
- Now, put the swab in the extraction tube, pinch it at the bottom and swirl it well, so that it is immersed in the liquid. Break the swab needle from the designated point and close the tube
- Take the test card and insert two drops from the tube into the well. Wait for 15 minutes for the results to appear. Any indication after 20 minutes is considered invalid
- You need to take a picture of the card from the app and upload it. If only control line C appears, RAT negative may be inferred. If both control line C and test line T appear, RAT positive is the conclusion. The app is equipped with artificial intelligence to give you the best results
- After the test is conducted, dispose of everything in the biohazard bag
(With Inputs from the above video)