Coronavirus has been one of the most dreaded microbes in the past two years, affecting people from all parts of the globe. The symptoms for a Covid-19 infection are similar to cold/flu, including coughing, fever, loss of smell and others. As the positivity rate increase exponentially, it is unsafe stepping out of the house even to get tested for coronavirus. Because when you go out, if you are infected, you might spread the infection to others; or if you are healthy, you might get infected by others. Hence home testing procedure for coronavirus has been sought after by which you can get the test done at home to find whether you are coronavirus infected or not. Here is a detailed guide on home testing of covid-19 and recovery methods.
SELF-COLLECTION KITS
As soon as you feel the symptoms of the Covid-19 infection, quarantine yourself in a separate room and avoid contact with others. Along with cough and cold, look for symptoms like shortness of breath, loss of smell and body pain. There are at-home self-collection test kits available at drugstores. Either go to the drugstore to buy a test kit or get it delivered to your place. View the instructions specified by the manufacturer on the self-test kit. Few kits require a nasal specimen while others require a specimen of your saliva. Read the instruction carefully, take a swab from the home-test collection kit and then ship it back to the location mentioned for the results of the test. You receive the test results within 48 hours from the concerned lab, either via mail or a text message.
SELF-TEST KITS
There are also several other rapid test kits available that provide you direct results within a few hours. Most of these rapid test kits require a prescription, and you can get one online from a physician. A few of the rapid test kits are BinaxNow, Ellume, Lucira Health’s All-in-one kit. Lucira’s test kit was the first one to get approved by US FDA. This kit is available only when prescribed by a doctor. Take a swab and collect the sample. Put the swab in a vial of solution which is then placed in a battery-operated device that comes along with the corona home-test kit. After 30-minutes of placing the vial in the device, a light indicates the result of the test to be either positive or negative. Thus you get instant coronavirus test results at home.
PRECAUTIONS TO BE FOLLOWED:
- Do not use an expired or used test kit.
- Wash/sanitize your hands well before handling the kit to avoid getting it contaminated.
- Disinfect the furniture and surfaces on which the test kit and its components will be placed.
- Follow the instructions properly to get the most accurate results for the test.
- If it is only a sample collection kit, pack the collected specimen carefully as mentioned and then ship it.
If your test result is positive, isolate yourself in a room and do not come in contact with others at home. Consult with a physician and take the necessary steps to find relief from the symptoms and get recovered at home. You can try proning technique at home for maintaining your oxygen level and eat healthy foods that boost your immunity. If you feel your symptoms are worsening or you feel your health is deteriorating, consult with the doctor and shift to a hospital.
Sometimes the test result appears negative, but still, you might be infected by the coronavirus. The erroneous result might be due to the improper handling of the test kit or faulty sample collection. Hence it is highly essential to be very careful while performing self-test at home.
Whether you are in isolation or quarantine, do not fail to wear personal protective equipment like facemasks, isolation gowns for both your safety and the safety of others around. Also, the others at home must wear personal protective equipment, follow proper hygiene and stay safe when a family member is sick. Visit PPE Zones, one of the leading PPE suppliers in California to buy personal protective equipment like N95 Facemasks, 3ply Facemasks, Isolation Gowns, Bouffant Caps and GClean Sanitizer Wipes.
