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Using Self-Use COVID-19 Testing Kit During Your Travels? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

by Suchismita Pal
Using Self-Use COVID-19 Testing Kit During Your Travels? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

In an effort to reduce the pressure on the already overburdened healthcare system in India, Pune-based molecular diagnostics startup Mylab Discovery Solutions has developed the first self-use Rapid Antigen Test Kit for COVID-19 in India. The test kit, approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR), is known as CoviSelf and it will give results in 15 minutes. The test kits will soon be made available at around 700,000 pharmacies across India and will cost ₹250 per kit.

Also Read: COVID-19 Travel Kit: Oximeter, Crocin & Other Essentials You Should Carry During The Second Wave

It Takes Just 2 Minutes To Conduct The Test At Home

According to a Business Standard report, the director of Mylab Discovery Solutions, Sujeet Jain, has stated that the startup is aiming to reach 90 percent pin code regions in India. Jain said, “It takes 2 minutes to conduct test and 15 minutes to get result. This test is for self-use. If you test positive via this there’s no need for an RT PCR test as per ICMR. Any adult can use this kit by reading our manual.” The test kit will have all the testing materials along with an instruction manual and a biohazard bag for the safe disposal of the materials after testing. Watch the video below to know how to use the kit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wVppYNJLN4

Symptomatic individuals can take the test at home and get the results on the mobile app. “Data in the app of your mobile phone will be centrally captured in a secure server, which is connected with the ICMR COVID-19 testing portal, where all data will be eventually stored,”, stated ICMR, as reported by Your Story.

Self-Use COVID-19 Testing Kit
Picture Credits: Mylab Discovery Solution/YouTube and The Daily Star

Also Read: Is It Legal To Fly Out Of India To Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19? Everything You Need To Know

ICMR Guidelines For COVID-19 Home Testing Using Rapid Antigen Test

ICMR has also issued an advisory for COVID-19 home testing using Rapid Antigen Tests ( RATs). The guidelines are as follows:

  • Home testing by RAT is advised only in symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of laboratory confirmed positive cases.
  • Indiscriminate testing is not advised.
  • Individuals should conduct home testing as per the procedure described by the manufacturer in the user manual.
  • The home testing mobile app is available in Google play store and Apple store. All users must download it.
  • The mobile app is a comprehensive guide of the testing procedure. It will provide a positive or negative test result to the patient.
  • All users should click a picture of the test strip after completing the test procedure with the same mobile phone they used for downloading the mobile app and registration.

  • Data in the app of your mobile phone will be centrally captured in a secure server that is connected with the ICMR COVID-19 testing portal, where all data will be eventually stored.
  • There will be full maintenance of patient confidentiality.
  • All individuals who test positive may be considered as true positives and they would not need repeat testing.
  • All positive testing individuals should follow home isolation and care as per the ICMR & Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) protocol available at: www.icmr.gov.in/chomecare.html.
  • Symptomatic individuals who test negative by RAT should immediately undergo RT-PCR tests. This is especially important as the RATs are likely to miss few positive cases presenting with a low viral load.
  • All RAT negative symptomatic individuals may be treated as suspect COVID-19 cases and are advised to follow the ICMR/MoH&FW home isolation protocol while awaiting the RT-PCR test result.