Is COVID-19 self-test box positive really positive? Who is the COVID-19 self-test box suitable for?

COVID-19 self-test box is a common test product in life. It can detect whether it is infected with COVID-19 virus in a short time. The operation is simple and easy to use, and many people will test themselves. The accuracy of COVID-19 self-test kit is not as high as that of nucleic acid detection, and it is prone to false negatives, but the possibility of false positives is relatively low.

Is COVID-19's self-test box positive really positive?

There is a high probability that it is really positive.

On the premise that there is no problem with antigen detection reagents, positive antigen detection means that there are corresponding pathogens in the human body, and the carrying capacity may be high. Because the sensitivity of nucleic acid detection is higher than that of antigen detection, as long as the antigen is positive, it is very likely that nucleic acid detection is also positive.

False positive means that the tester does not carry pathogens, but the test results are positive. The probability of false positive in antigen detection is not high, on the contrary, it is more likely to appear false negative. False negative refers to missed detection, and the tester carries pathogens, and the test result should be positive, but the result is negative. Sometimes, samples taken from the upper respiratory tract such as nasopharynx and oropharynx may not get pathogens, or the number of pathogens contained in the samples is small, which may cause false negatives.

How to use COVID-19 self-test box?

Before using COVID-19 antigen self-test kit, citizens should wash their hands and keep dry. The test kit mainly includes four parts: nasal swab, eluent, test reagent card and instruction manual. After reading the instructions carefully, open the aluminum foil bag containing the test card, take out the test card and put it on a clean and dry desktop. After the test card is taken out, the test should be completed within one hour. Then, the examinee wiped his nose with toilet paper, unpacked the outer package of the nasal swab, and took samples along the bottom of the nasal passage from 1 to 1.5 cm.

Follow our inferior nasal meatus, reach in, then turn clockwise and counterclockwise, four times, about 15 seconds, and then the other nostril, and do the same.

After sampling is completed, pick up the elution tube, tear off the film covering the nozzle of the elution tube, insert the sampling cotton swab into the sample eluent, knead it up and down for 10 times or at least 30 seconds, and squeeze the cotton swab head across the outer wall of the elution tube for at least 5 times by hand to ensure that the sample is fully eluted in the elution tube, cover the elution tube, invert it above the sample adding hole of the detection card, and gently squeeze the elution tube.

Four drops is about 80 microliters. If you drop less, you may not be able to get on. If there are more droplets, the droplets may flow back to the test paper. Then start timing, and after ten minutes, observe the test card to see the test results.

Who is the COVID-19 self-test box suitable for?

There are three kinds of people who are suitable for antigen testing, including people who go to primary medical and health institutions and have symptoms such as respiratory fever within 5 days, isolated observers (including isolated observation at home, close contacts and sub-close contacts, people who enter isolated observation, closed control areas and control areas) and community residents who need antigen self-inspection.

For those who are positive for antigen testing, regardless of whether there are symptoms such as respiratory tract and fever, they should immediately report to their communities (towns and villages), and the communities (towns and villages) should contact the emergency center, and transport residents to medical institutions with fever clinics for nucleic acid testing according to the guidelines for transporting personnel related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Sampling swabs, sampling tubes and inspection cards used by positive personnel are put into sealed bags and transported to medical institutions for medical waste disposal.