The world has by now seen three waves of coronavirus. The pandemic has seen many people lose their lives. While the threat of the virus is low now but the pandemic has still not gone away from our lives. Hence, the need to maintain social distance and wear mask though more and more of us are totally abandoning such precautions.
One of the developments in the course of the pandemic has been the need to keep testing oneself for the virus. While RT-PCR is considered the gold standard for Covid-19 testing, during the spread of Omicron, the need for antigen tests was felt across the country as the numbers sky rocketed. It was in this context that the world discovered antigen self test kits which made it easy to test for the virus at home.
A report in Hindustan Times quoted ICMR and said that all those who test positive after using this self test kit did not require additional testing as this self-testing would be considered as true positive. Those who test negative would have to opt for RT-PCR testing.
Many of us discovered that getting oneself tested in the comfort of your home saved a lot of headache. What was better was that some of these kits were safe for use even for children as young as two years. All these kits work via their respective company apps.
As we said the threat of the virus is far from over. So, it makes sense to keep these kits handy at all times. Such self kits are available online on various online e-commerce platforms like Amazon. If you are keen on buying one, our curated list should help you decide better.
1) <strong>Angcard Covid-19 Antigen-Saliva Self Test Kit (Rapid Test Device for detection of Cov-19 in Human Saliva) Pack of 2</strong>
This is a saliva based Covid-19 antigen test approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It is easy to use as there is no need to put a swab inside the nose. It shows results within a short time. On Amazon, this is currently available in a pack of two.
2) <strong>Roche - COVID-19 At Home Test</strong>
This home test kit used nasal specimen to check for the presence of the virus in the system. This kit too has been approved by ICMR and results show in 15 minutes. This kit in available in several packs online.
3) Mylab CoviSelf - COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Self Test Kit
This kit can be used by individuals who are 18 or above. It can also be used for children as young as two years, with an adult collecting the sample for them. This product will have minimum six months’ expiry at the time of order dispatch. This is a single use kit.
4) Panbio - Covid-19 Antigen Self-Test Kit
This antigen self-test kit is a single-use kit that uses a human nasal swab specimen for the detection of Covid. It determines whether you have an active Covid-19 infection and gives test results in 15 minutes. This kit is safe for use by pregnant women too.
5) Covifind Covid-19 Rapid Antigen and Covid Test Kit- ICMR Approved for Home Use
This kit allows you to check Covid infection from the comfort of your home. It is safe for use for children as young as two years old. This kit too gives the result in 15 minutes. For it to show result, you have to take nasal swab from 2-4 cm inside the nose. It is a less invasive test kit. Like others, this too works via the company app.
6) ABFIND India's First Post Vaccination Neutralizing Antibody Test
This antigen self test kit shows results in 20 minutes. It is less invasive and comes with a user friendly lancet. It also checks your immune status post vaccination and the due date for booster dose of vaccine.
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