The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on 10 June that COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART) kits will be made available in pharmacies this Wednesday (16 June) onwards.
That’s right, these kits will allow you to test yourself for COVID-19 from the comfort of your very own home.
But where exactly can you get these kits for yourself? How much will they cost and how do they work?
Here are 10 facts about the self-testing COVID-19 rapid test kits that answer all these questions and more.
Now, before that, if you’d like to know how an antigen test works, watch this video to the end first:
10 Facts About the DIY COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits That You’ll be able to buy from 16 June
Types of self-test kits available
There are four self-test kits that have received interim approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
According to CNA, they are: the Abbott PanBio COVID-19 Antigen Self-test, QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test, SD Biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self-Test Nasal, and SD Biosensor Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test.
The procedures for these four types of test kits may experience slight variations. For instance, the QuickVue test uses a test strip dipped in buffer solution, while the Abbott test involves dripping the buffer solution onto a test device instead.
How ARTs work
ARTs pick up viral proteins in nasal swab samples, and they are typically the most effective when in the early stages of infection.
The tests produce results in under 20 minutes.
According to the HSA, for cases with higher viral loads, ARTs can attain sensitivity levels of around 80% and a specificity range of 97-100%.
Sensitivity means the ability of the test to accurately detect COVID-19 in individuals with the virus. Conversely, specificity means the ability of the test to accurately pick out individuals without the virus.
However, if the testing process is not carried out correctly, a false negative result could be obtained. In addition, a false negative result can be obtained if there is low viral protein level detected due to testing only one to two days after possible exposure to COVID-19.
Hence, it is extremely important to follow the instructions on the test kits to a tee to ensure maximum accuracy of the test.
According to infectious diseases expert Dr Leong Hoe Nam, “A negative test doesn’t mean you don’t have it but you’re less likely to have COVID-19.”
He also pointed out that if a test is properly carried out, it will “carry a similar sensitivity” to a PCR test, especially if the test is performed again every three to five days.
Where to get the DIY test kits
You can obtain these test kits at selected Watsons, Guardian and Unity outlets across Singapore from this Wednesday (16 June) onwards.
Sales of these test kits will be opened up across these places “progressively”, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
All 79 Guardian outlets with a pharmacy will be selling the ART test kits, including the Guardian outlet at Giant in Suntec City, while 39 Unity pharmacies will carry the test kits.
These 30 outlets were selected based on the presence of in-house pharmacists who will be able to aid customers in evaluating whether or not they are suitable to use the ART kits, as well as help them understand how to use them.
The Abbott PanBioTM COVID-19 Antigen Self-test and the QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test are the test kits that you will be able to obtain at Guardian stores.
As for Watsons, test kits will be carried by all Watsons pharmacy stores in the first phase. They will slowly be expanded to cover more Watsons stores and even Watsons online in a second phase.
In the first phase of the Watsons rollout, you will be able to find the Abbot Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test and Quidel QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test kits.
The pharmacy stores of Guardian and Watsons can be located using the companies’ respective websites, as well as the mobile application Watsons SG for Watsons.
Price of test kits
According to Watsons, the price of the test kits will range from S$10-S$13 depending on the size of the pack, in line with MOH’s recommended guidelines.
Unity is still finalising information on the type of kits available and their pricing, while Guardian has said that they will also follow MOH’s guidelines with regards to pricing.
Ensuring sufficient test kits for all
There will be an initial limit of 10 ART kits per person to ensure sufficient supplies for everyone, according to the Health Ministry’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak.
Eventually, as more test kits are produced for sale, they can be “freely purchased” by members of the public.
How to use the test kits
According to the HSA, one should use the swabs provided in the kits to obtain their nasal sample before preparing their sample using the buffer and tube.
The prepared sample should then be used with the test device to obtain the results.
Of course, all instructions should be followed closely along every step of the testing process, as the procedures could differ slightly depending on the type of test kit used.
Abbott also stated that an adult should help to obtain the nasal samples and perform the test for children under the age of 14.
How to read the results shown
According to TODAYonline, if two lines are displayed—the Control (C) line and the Test (T) line—it means that COVID-19 has been detected.
The C and T lines are shown on Abbott’s and SD Biosensor’s kits, while the QuickVue kit displays blue (C) and pink (T) lines.
The T line is the “critical indicator”, and QuickVue and Abbott kits advise “[looking] closely” as the T line could appear faint but it still points towards a positive test result.
In addition, according to Abbott, the C line could show up in a mere few minutes, which is faster than the crucial T line.
Hence, it is important to fully wait out the given time in order to get an accurate test result.
And if there is no C line shown at all, it means that the test did not work.
Precautionary measures to take while using the test kit
TODAYonline has listed several precautions to take while using these DIY test kits.
It is important to check if the test kit has expired as it has a rather short shelf life. In addition, be careful not to touch the swab as you may risk contaminating it.
How to know if you should use the test kit
If you are not displaying any symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI), but you may have possible exposure to COVID-19 (which you can check via the TraceTogether app) or have been to places where confirmed cases had been, you may wish to test yourself for the virus.
In addition, the health ministry pointed out that those experiencing ARI symptoms should visit a doctor for diagnosis and a PCR test rather than using the ART self-test kit.
What to do if you test positive
In the unfortunate event of a positive test result, you should “immediately approach” a Swab and Send Home Public Health Preparedness Clinic (SASH PHPC) to confirm your results with a PCR test, according to MOH.
MOH also said that those who test negative should also continue to remain vigilant and abide by safe distancing measures.
Featured Image: Facebook (Ong Ye Kung)
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