Covid is a disease that has hit the world so far in the Pandemic. New variants such as the Omicron have increased the number of infections in different parts of the world.
Many indications have been given on how to protect yourself from the disease and how to act in cases of contagion. The chances of getting infected are many, so in the face of any symptoms it is important that we carry out the corresponding tests.
Taking a Covid-19 Test is getting easier every day. Now that there is easy access to rapid tests, in just a few minutes you can find out your status.
What are rapid Covid tests?
Rapid antigen tests, as their name indicates, are simple tests from which results can be obtained in minutes. The most common are those of antigens, which what they do is look for virus proteins.
Some of these tests you can use yourself after purchasing them at the pharmacy. They are intended to detect Covid infection in people in record time.
They are portable, easy to perform, cheaper and do not require a professional or specialized equipment.
These can be rapid oral or nasal fluid antigen tests .
How are rapid Covid tests carried out?
These tests come in a kit that includes all the elements needed to perform the test. The steps to carry them out are usually the following:
- Wash your hands before touching the kit.
- Take the swab, insert it into the nose about 2 centimeters forward and rotate it slowly. It should be done in both nostrils with the same swab. In the event that it is a Covid-19 saliva test, the samples will be oral.
- Insert the swab into the tube until the collected samples pass into the liquid.
- Place the test device on a firm, flat surface, then drop four drops of liquid from the tube.
After 15 minutes you will have a diagnosis.
To interpret the results you must be guided by the two letters that appear on the device, the C is the control line that indicates if the test is working correctly and the T will show the status of the infection.
Some of the rapid tests authorized in several countries are the following: Covid-19 BOSON, Covid-19, NEWGENE, Covid-19 WESAIL, Covid-19 GOLDSIDE, Covid-19 FLOW FLEX
Effectiveness of rapid Covid tests
In general, these tests tend to have good efficiency rates. However, if the test is not performed correctly following the step by step imperfections may occur.
The possibility of false negatives has a lot to do with the moment in which the test is done, so it is good to re-confirm with another and, where appropriate, investigate the most precise moments to do it.
The rapid Covid tests are of great help in the early diagnosis of the disease and you should not hesitate to do it as soon as you have suspicions.
