With COVID-19 posing still a serious threat to our lives, coronavirus home test kits can help communities go back to normal.
You’ve heard contradicting news about coronavirus disease testing. Currently, test manufacturers are rushing to provide affordable and quick home testing solutions. To shed some light on the matter, we have collected a comprehensive guide for you to consult.
- What types of COVID-19 home tests are available?
- How coronavirus home test kits work?
- How to interpret coronavirus home test kit results?
- How accurate are at-home COVID-19 tests?
The answer to these questions is key to making an informed decision that meets your needs. Without further ado, let us look into all you should know about COVID-19 home tests.
What types of COVID-19 home tests are available?
There are different Coronavirus home test kits available on the market. Tests can be divided into two types based on their objective:
- Diagnostic tests
- Antibody tests
Diagnostic tests can determine if you have an active COVID-19 infection. Under this category, Wondfo provides molecular and antigen tests. The molecular tests require laboratory analysis. While the sample examination takes longer, PCR tests are the most accurate. On the other hand, antigen tests can provide quicker results despite a lower accuracy. Both solutions collect samples with a nasal or throat swab, or saliva.
As for the antibody tests, they are yet to be authorized as at-home tests in a small part of countries. Therefore, this article will focus mainly on introducing antigen testing.
How coronavirus home test kits work
Coronavirus home test kits refer to self-collection testing, including nasal, saliva, or blood samples. At-home COVID-19 tests can be classified into:
- Home collection test: The sample is collected at home and then sent to the laboratory for analysis. A medical prescription is requested.
- Direct to consumer test (DTC): Working as the method above, DTC tests do not need prescriptions.
- At-home testing: Consumers can carry out the test and check the result on their own at home.
- Over-the-counter test (OTC): Users completes sample collection and testing at home, without prescriptions.
The home collection process can be quite convoluted. For this reason, more and more companies, including Wondfo, are developing rapid COVID self-tests.
How to get coronavirus home test kits?
Prescription tests
In general, prescription tests are granted by health care providers. Their function is to determine whether consumers need testing and ensure they get the most appropriate solution. Once confirmed, the provider will deliver the COVID test kit to your house.
Non-prescription tests
For non-prescription tests, the situation is simpler. These types of tests may be available to purchase at a pharmacy or online store. Before purchasing it is always advised to make sure the source is reliable.
How do antigen rapid tests work?
At-home antigen tests can be taken from nasal or throat swabs or sputum. The procedure is straightforward:
- Gather the sample with the swab
- Add the sample to the test tube
- Drop the solution into the cartridge
- Wait for roughly 15-20 minutes to get the result
Wondfo provides full support both to distributors and consumers with extensive instructional materials.
How to interpret coronavirus home test kit results?
When carrying out the test, it is advised to collect the specimen in the morning, before brushing your teeth, drinking, or eating. The result should be interpreted during the time frame indicated on the at-home COVID-19 test kit.
Antigen rapid test
Positive: Two colored lines show up, with one in the control area “C” and one in the test area “T.” The intensity on the test line “T” may vary based on the antigen sample’s concentration. Any sign should be considered a positive result, meaning that the users have an active COVID-19 infection.
Negative: A colored line appears in the control area “C.” The test area “T” appears to remain empty.
Invalid: If no lines are showing in both areas, it means that the test is invalid.
What to do if tested positive for COVID-19?
Contact your doctor to schedule a molecular test. In the meantime, start following these precautions to avoid infecting other people:
- Stay at home, separate yourself from others (except to get medical care)
- Monitor your symptoms
- Schedule for running further tests
- Keep social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands
For more information, consult the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines.
How accurate are coronavirus home test kits?
Trained personnel can examine the laboratory sample, checking for any viral genetic materials. PCR tests are can achieve high accuracy close to 100% / of over 90%.
On the other hand, at-home COVID-19 tests are much quicker to provide the results. How about their accuracy?
Antigen rapid tests can analyze whether the virus is present in high concentrations. Thus, depending on the time you are running the test, minor infections can be unreported. In general, when start showing the symptoms, antigen tests provide 84% to 98% accurate readings.
How to dispose of used at-home COVID-19 test kit
Regardless of the result, at-home tests need to be disposed to avoid biological pollution. As for the test acquisition, the regulations can be different based on the country.
Up to this date, many nations have not yet drafted a plan for the COVID-19 test disposal. In these countries, at-home tests have not yet obtained the required licensing.
To know more about COVID-19 disposal, we invite you to check your country’s Health Bureau Regulations.
Wondfo Solutions
To comply with the high standards set by health care providers and consumers, Wondfo has developed the new 2019-nCoV Antigen Test.
First, they made distributors and consumers happy by lowering the costs with no equipment required to process the specimens and read results.
In addition, they realize storage in room temperature (2-30℃) while keeping the validity period longer (12-24 months).
Coronavirus home test kits provide non-invasive, instant, and accurate results within 15 minutes.
Since 1992, Wondfo is committed to the integration of R&D, production, and sales of POCT solutions. With NMPA, CE, FDA, MDALL, MDSAP, and WHO PQ certifications, they stand in the front line to fight COVID-19. Their team of researchers is proud to help communities in over 140 countries worldwide.
To know more about coronavirus home test kits, contact us!
