How To Use CoviSelf?: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a self-testing Covid-19 kit called CoviSelf that any person can use at home. Here is a step-by-step guide to what this test is and how you can use it.

Any person can use this kit to test their Covid-19 positivity at home. There is no requirement to visit an earmarked pathological laboratory to get one’s sample tested. It will provide results in 15 minutes. The test kit will be available in the market in about a week’s time. It will be priced at Rs 250 per kit.

COVID-19 Self Testing Kit CoviSelf: Highlights

• Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions has rolled out India’s first self-testing COVID-19 kit named ‘CoviSelf’ at ₹250.
• Keeping in view the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, ICMR also issued advisory guidelines for home-based COVID-19 testing kits for Rapid Antigen Test.
• ICMR said that individuals who test positive may consider themselves as true positive and no-repeat testing is required.
• Here’s how to use the CoviSelf kit:

How To Use CoviSelf Kit At home?

1. Each kit will be provided with all testing materials. The kit will carry a pre-filled extraction tube, a sterile nasal swab, one test card, and a biohazard bag.
2. The test is designed to be done using a nasal swab (not the deep nasopharyngeal swab) to reduce the discomfort. The sterile swab kit should be inserted into both nostrils (2-4 cms until resistance is met) and rolled about five times to make sure that an adequate sample is collected.
3. The swab is then dipped into the pre-filled extraction tube, and two full drops of the mixture should be added to the sample well of the test device.
4. The person undertaking the test will have to download the Mylab coviself app on their smartphone. The app is available in Google Play Store and Apple Store.
5. The app is a comprehensive guide of the testing procedure and will provide a positive or negative test result to the patient.
6. There will be two sections on the test card — the control section and the test section.
7. If the bar shows up only at the control section ‘C’, the result is negative.
8. If the bar appears on both the control section and test (T) section, the test is positive.
9. A positive test will take about 5 to 7 minutes. A negative result will take 15 minutes max.
10. Persons taking the rest will have 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 registration.

Who can use the Mylab CoviSelf home test kit?

ICMR has advised this test for only those who have symptoms or are high-risk contacts of positive patients and need to conduct a test at home. If positive, the person will be considered COVID-19 positive and will not require RT-PCR as a confirmatory test.

According to reports, this test is synced with a mobile app which will help directly feed data on the ICMR portal for contact tracing. This test is not advised for general screening in public places or commuters.

If a person has symptoms and tests negative on this kit, he has to undergo an RT-PCR test.

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ICMR Advisory For Covid19 Self -Test At Home

• Home testing by Rapid Antigen Test is advised for symptomatic Individuals & Immediate contacts of the lab-confirmed positive cases.
• The Kit has a home testing mobile app available in Google play & Apple store.
• All symptomatic Individual who test negative by RAT should get themselves Immediately tested by RT-PCR.
• ICMR has approved the “CoviSelf (PathoCatch) COVID-19 OTC Antigen LF Device”.

The ICMR said the people taking CoviSelf test for Covid-19 have their data secured. It said there is no threat to patient confidentiality. Mylab Discovery Solutions, the developer of CoviSelf kit, said it would cost Rs 250 per test.