With new and more powerful variants of COVID coming into action, there is an increase in the panic situation across the globe. Just a couple of years back, we were not familiar with how powerful this virus can be, and how will it affect everyone’s lives. Recently, a deadly COVID variant Omicron has emerged in several countries. Being more powerful than its previous variants, Omicron is spreading like wildfire nowadays and causing many people to lose their lives. In Pakistan, the quality of medical services is not very good. Hospitals and COVID testing centres are quite crowded. Although testing centres are highly sanitized, there is still a lot of risk involved in visiting the centres. If you are wondering whether there is an alternative and easy way to perform the COVID test, the answer is yes. You can now use self-testing COVID kits in Pakistan in your home.
How to Use a COVID Self-Testing Kit
To perform a self-test or home test for COVID, you will need a self-testing kit first. You can choose from the available COVID testing kits in the market. Please note that you will need to read complete instructions as listed by the manufacturer. You can also reach out to healthcare services providers in your area to find out how to perform the self-test. While this may be valid, we have gathered all the important details here to help you perform the home test correctly.
Before You Collect a Specimen
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Open the self-testing kit package and follow the listed instructions to collect your own nasal or saliva specimen.
Please note that you need to follow the instructions carefully before collecting the sample. Failing to do so may result in inaccurate results.
Performing the COVID Test
Self-tests for COVID typically require the collection of a nasal specimen or a saliva specimen. Depending upon the test you choose, you need to follow the instructions as advised by the manufacturer to carry out the test affectively.
The following tips can help you perform your COVID self-test correctly.
- When you buy the self-testing kit, you need to make sure that the components of the kit are not expired.
- Store all the test components according to the given instructions to avoid any trouble in finding accurate results.
- Do not forget to thoroughly clean the table or counter top that you choose to perform the test.
- Open your testing kit only once you are all set to perform the test.
- Keep a timer ready with you as you may need to time several steps in the process.
- Once you perform the test, read the tests only at the specified time (as advised in the instructions) as reading it before or after the specified time may result in inaccurate results.
Please note that after performing the test and collecting the results, you need to discard the test specimen right away and properly. You may also need to clean any surface that came in contact with your hands, or the testing sample during the process.
What to Do If the Test is Positive?
We sincerely hope that you find your results to be negative in the test. However, if you end up testing positive, you need to take a few steps immediately.
Isolate yourself at home for 10 days and wear your mask all the time when others need to interact with you. If you feel sick, and the situation worsens, you may need to get in contact with your healthcare provider to seek medical attention. You may also seek medical attention in case of any alarming signs such as trouble in breathing.
Try to remember and review your recent past activities and interactions to inform those you met in the meantime about testing positive. This way, they can also get tested for COVID to find out if they are infected.
If you have a doubt on your self-test results, you can reach out to an official testing centre to get yourself tested again.
What to Do If the Test is Negative?
While this may be sigh of relief for you, it is important to mention that testing negative does not necessarily rule out the possibility of COVID. If you are suffering from illness and have the symptoms, you may receive a false negative. A false negative indicates that the sample might have been taken too early.
To rule out your false negative, you can perform the test later in a few days.
Can You Perform COVID Self-Test in Pakistan?
You can now find the self-testing COVID kits in Pakistan with complete instructions to perform the test correctly. All you need to do is head to your nearest healthcare provider and ask for COVID home kit. Please note that you may need to compare and choose between the available companies offering the testing kits.
