Do you have the symptoms of Covid 19 and you want to go for a Covid-19 test at your home itself but you really have no idea how you can do that? Well, then you are in the right place because today we are going to tell you how to use a Covid-19 Antigen Test Kit.
The process might seem complex and daunting when you see it being performed on other people but, believe us, it is extremely easy and pain-free. Just be sure to be gentle throughout the process. Here, let us tell you everything about Covid-19 antigen testing at home.
What is the Covid-19 Antigen Test?
Before we get started with the whole process, let’s quickly understand what is actually Covid-19 antigen test. Nasal swabs are taken as a sample in this type of Covid 19 test. It detects the protein markers present on the outside of a SARS-CoV-2 virus. Tests can be performed by anybody and the reports are often quick. You can find out the report on-site.
Which Covid-19 Antigen Kit to buy?
To perform a Covid-19 antigen test at your home by yourself, first of all, you need to buy a good antigen rapid kit like the Gena bio antigen test kit or you can get any other of your choice. You can easily get the one from an antigen test wholesale.
If you feel confused among the 100 brands available on the market, you can take the help of an antigen rapid test kit distributor. That person is a kind of expert in that field and he/she will definitely guide you the best. If you need to perform more than one test, you can buy bulk covid test kits.
A step-by-step guide to performing Covid-19 antigen test at home
Once you have bought an antigen kit for Covid-19, you just need to follow the below steps to perform the test. Make sure not to hassle and be careful throughout the process.
- First of all, wash your hands with a mild soap or cleanser for at least 30 seconds. This step is very important because unclean hands always have some kind of bacteria.
- Now, unwrap the kit. Here, you will see three items: a collection swab, a small vial of liquid, and a test strip.
- The first item you need is the collection swab. Hold it and insert it into your nostril. Rotate the swab at least 5 times against the inner wall of the nose. The swab must be ½ to ¾ inches into your nostril. Else, it won’t be able to give you the correct report.
- Now, take the vial of liquid. Open the large cap of it and insert the same swab into it. Keep stirring the swab 15 times at least.
- Next, squeeze the sides of the vial against the swab while pulling it out. After that, put the cap back on the vial.
- Take the test strip, in that you will see ‘C’ and ‘T’.
- Open the smaller top cab of the vial and squeeze three drops of sample into a test strip.
- Set the time on the test strip to 15 minutes and keep it peacefully in place. Make sure not to disturb it during these 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, take the test strip and read the report.
How to interpret Covid 19 antigen at-home test kit result
After testing, you will see a line under ‘C’. It means the test is working. So you don’t need to worry if you have a single line here. You should be actually worried if you see no line under ‘C’. Then, you need to go for a re-test.
- Negative report
If you see no line at all under ‘T’, be relieved. Your report is negative for Covid 19.
- Positive report
Unfortunately, if there is a line under ‘C’, you are positive for Covid 19. If you wish, you can repeat the process again with a new kit, of course, and re-test yourself.
Advantages of Covid-19 Antigen Test
There are a number of advantages to using the Covid-19 antigen test and this is the reason it is probably the most popular Covid 19 testing right now. Here, have a look at the major benefits of this kind of Covid 19 test.
- To start with, antigen tests are faster and smoother than the other types of Covid 19 tests. The whole process is super easy.
- The best thing about antigen tests is that they require no special training and people can easily perform and interpret their results at home. This is actually the main reason for the popularity of this type of Covid 19 test.
- Antigen tests produce the results quickly. In just a few minutes, you will be able to find your report.
- These types of tests are pain-free, unlike other Covid-19 tests.
- Since this type of Covid-19 test ensures quick results, they are the best fit for mass testing.
- On top of everything, antigen tests are less expensive than their other counterparts.
FAQs
- Are antigen test reports accurate?
Well, this is still a matter of debate among the experts but you can rely on these reports for up to 90%. If you are performing the whole process carefully taking care of everything, your report must be accurate. If you are still doubtful, you can go for another type of Covid-19 just to ensure yourself.
- Can I perform a Covid-19 antigen test on kids?
According to experts, you should not perform a Covid-19 antigen test under kids of 4 years. Generally, this testing method is meant for adults.
- Do I need a follow-up antigen test?
Not really. If you are satisfied with the report, why do you need to perform a follow-up test? Yeah, if you think the report might not be correct, you can go for a follow-up test just to make sure.
Conclusion
Testing yourself at home with the help of a POC rapid antigen test kit or any other type of kit is awfully easy. We have already provided you with all the details. So just go ahead if you feel any symptoms of Covid-19