Warning to consumers about home self-test kits
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) warns consumers to be cautious when seeking to purchase products claiming to be home self-tests for COVID-19, either online or through other means.
In Australia, the advertising and supply of self-tests for serious infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, is prohibited under therapeutic goods legislation. COVID-19 tests are designed to be used under the direction of a health professional. Home tests may give a false positive or false negative result, which could be extremely dangerous for yourself and others if relied on.
Testing for COVID-19 should only be conducted in an accredited pathology laboratory, or by a relevant healthcare practitioner or trained staff under their supervision. This is to make sure that they are appropriately used, and the results interpreted correctly, and to ensure a suitable health practitioner is available to provide immediate clinical advice and treatment if required.
Source: https://www.tga.gov.au/
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How Reliable Are At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Really?
We're a year and a half into this pandemic and somehow COVID-19 testing can still feel like a total mystery at times.
Where do I go to get tested? Which test do I need? How soon will I get my results?
In particular, many of us are looking for easier and faster ways to know if we're virus-free. And taking an at-home COVID test seems like a really convenient answer — especially considering that some deliver rapid results.
A quick test, a negative result (hopefully) and you're in the clear to go to that birthday party you don't want to skip, right?
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Plus, since not all at-home COVID-19 test are rapid, how do you know which you need?
"The gold standard of COVID-19 testing is still a PCR test of a nasopharyngeal, or sometimes nasal, a sample collected by a medical professional. At-home COVID tests can play a role during this pandemic. Just be sure to know the caveats of these tests and follow the instructions very closely," says Dr. Wesley Long, director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist.