Pune lab launches India’s first-ever self-testing kit for COVID-19. Mylab Discovery Solutions said it takes 2 minutes to conduct the test and 15 minutes to get the result.
“This test is for self-use.” If you test positive via this there’s no need for the RT-PCR test as per ICMR. The COVID testing kit can be used by any common person at home without the assistance of any lab or health official.
“Any adult can use this kit by reading our manual,” told the Director of Mylab Discovery Solutions, Sujeet Jain. The kit named ‘CoviSelf’ delivers the result just in 15 minutes. The kit will cost Rs 250 in the market.
In an advisory on the kit, the ICMR warned against indiscriminate home testing using Rapid Antigen Tests, and said that only individuals showing symptoms and immediate contacts of laboratory-confirmed positive Covid-19 cases should use this test.
The ICMR said, “All symptomatic individuals who test negative by RAT should get themselves immediately tested by RT-PCR. This is especially important as the RATs are likely to miss few positive cases presenting with a low viral load.”
The advisory also said that symptomatic individuals who test negative on this home test may be treated as suspect Covid-19 cases.
The advisory said that home testing should be conducted as per the procedure described by the manufacturer in the user manual.
The ICMR said the home testing mobile app is available in Google play store and Apple store and must be downloaded by all users. The mobile app is a comprehensive guide of the testing procedure and will provide a positive or negative test result to the patient. All users are advised to click a picture of the test strip after completing the test procedure with the same mobile phone which has been used for downloading the mobile app and user registration.
“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. Patient confidentiality will be fully maintained,” the advisory said.
