COVID-19 Home Testing Kit Advantages That Can Benefit Everyone

The continuous spread of the COVID-19 disease not only brought significant worries among the people but also sent off strict implementations of regulations from the government. In these concerning times, everyone is looking for a glimmer of hope and a solution. Whatever form it may come in, every individual is hoping for the pandemic to end.

Unfortunately, there is no evident vaccine yet invented to eradicate the disease. However, some methods would somehow help slow down the spread of the virus. The health industry’s intensive efforts have made the distribution of home testing kits possible.

These kits will help the early detection of the virus in one’s system, further making precautionary steps to contain any potentially infected patient immediately.

What are These Available Test Kits?

Many home testing kits are made available in the market, ready to purchase for any individual who wants to perform a self-test.

One of these is the Human Elisa Kit. Medical practitioners mostly refer to it as “enzyme-linked immunoassay,” which is a shorter term for “serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.” The Human Elisa Kit is the most popular screening test kit that can determine whether a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Aside from the Human Elisa Kit, there is also another home test kit that is legally authorized by the FDA. The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test is a test primarily produced by LabCorp America. It has the optimal goal to make testing easier for people while in the safety of their homes.

The other kit is the COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test kit. This type of home test kit can detect both IgG and IgM in one’s system through human serum, whole blood, or finger-prick samples. The detection of IgM without IgG indicates that a person has been recently infected. Alternatively, an IgG without IgM suggests that the patient has been infected with the virus months ago but poses no threat of infection to others.

Does the COVID-19 Home Testing Kit Have Advantages?

The primary purpose of inventing and making these home testing kits available in the market is for people to perform self-tests without needing to visit a hospital. Listed below are some of the advantages that can convince anyone to purchase a kit of their own.

Safety

If you are physically-well and active, but still want to get tested, visiting a clinic or hospital increases your chances of getting infected. Hence, it is highly ideal to purchase a kit since the number of infected individuals keeps rapidly rising every passing day.

When you are outside mingling with a crowd of people who may or may not be infected with the virus, you are letting yourself out in the open. This makes you prone to catch whatever contagion is present in a contaminated environment.

By having a home test kit, you can avoid this situation and ultimately reduce your risk factor. These home test kits are easy to use and perform on yourself. Some patients are accustomed to performing self-test, such as diabetes patients who are well-equipped in checking their blood sugar levels on their own.

Reduces the Need to Use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

The other key advantage of having these home test kits available is it reduces the need for medical practitioners to use PPE when performing a test. PPEs protect the health workers from infections as they perform their duties. Unfortunately, there is an extremely short supply of PPEs. It is also expensive, resulting in many health professionals being forced to work without it.

The implementation of using home test kits reduces the need to use PPE. It can instead be used in more concerning cases like monitoring both infected and recovering patients.

Convenience

Many individuals had been clamoring for the government to perform mass testing, just like what South Korea did. By doing large-scale testing, it allows health professionals to determine the real number of positive cases and who needs to be prioritized.

Fortunately, the fast development of these home test kits made it all possible and convenient. The use of these rapid test kits can be similar to pregnancy test kits. One line indicates a negative result, while two lines mean positive.

However, it has minor drawbacks that need to be reconsidered. Unlike with lab tests, these rapid home test kits have less accuracy and require further validation.

If you are having doubts about your results and feeling a little unwell, immediately contact a medical practitioner and ask to have a lab test done. At times like this,  it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Takeaway

COVID-19 home testing kits pose significant advantages, especially during these times when people want to make sure they aren’t infected. However, even with its benefits, it also has minor drawbacks that need to be considered. Although home testing kits are efficient, if you are still in doubt, the best thing you can do is get yourself a proper lab testing for the sake of your safety.