`CoviSelf': ICMR approves home testing without medical professional help
Indian Council of Medical Research on Wednesday approved CoviSelf, a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kit, for home testing.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 20 May 2021 5:03 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Indian Council of Medical Research on Wednesday approved CoviSelf, a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kit, for home testing. The only nasal swab will be required for this rapid antigen testing. An individual will be able to test himself or herself at home without the presence of any medical professional.
Home testing is advised only in symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of laboratory-confirmed positive cases. "Indiscriminate testing is not advised. Home testing should be conducted as per the procedure described by the manufacturer in the user manual," said ICMR.
For the test, the user will have to download the `mylab app' on their mobile phones, where the credentials have to be filled in. 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 that is connected with the ICMR COVID-19 testing portal, where all data will be eventually stored. "Patient confidentiality will be fully maintained," said ICMR.
All individuals who test positive may be considered as true positives and no-repeat testing are required. All test positive individuals are advised to follow home isolation and care as per the ICMR & Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) protocol which can be accessed at: https://www.icmr.gov.in/
All symptomatic individuals who test negative by RAT should get themselves immediately tested by RTPCR. 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 RTPCR test result.
All results may be interpreted as per the protocol laid down by the manufacturer in the user manual. Manufacturer's instructions must be strictly followed for disposal of the test kit, swab, and other materials.
