On the 12th, the State Food and Drug Administration issued a notice approving the application change of the self-test application of new crown antigen products in Nanjing Novizan, Beijing Jinwolf, Shenzhen Huada Inyuan, Guangzhou Wanfu Biology, and Beijing Huaketai Biology. Since then, five new crown antigen self-test products have been officially launched.
Previously, the National Health Commission issued a notice indicating that it decided to add antigen detection as a supplement to nucleic acid testing, and organized the formulation of the "Application Plan for Antigen Detection of New Coronavirus (Trial)".
Who can test themselves? How do I test myself? Can self-test results replace nucleic acid results? Where can I buy self-testing agents?
Who can test themselves?
The protocol specifies three types of antigen testing for the population:
Persons who go to primary medical and health institutions for treatment, accompanied by respiratory tract, fever and other symptoms and have symptoms within 5 days;
Quarantine and observation personnel, including personnel in home isolation observation, close and sub-close contact, entry isolation observation, sealing and control area and control area;
Residents of communities with antigen self-testing needs.
Where can I buy self-testing agents?
The plan points out that if community residents have self-testing needs, they can purchase antigen detection reagents for self-testing through retail pharmacies, online sales platforms and other channels.
The management department that organizes the isolation observation (such as the community, village, town, isolation point, etc.) is responsible for the procurement, distribution, management and other related work of antigen detection reagents.
What are the precautions for self-testing?
In order to ensure the quality of sampling and testing, residents must carefully read the instructions and standardize the operations such as sampling, sampling, and result interpretation in accordance with the prescribed requirements and procedures:
Blow the nose with toilet paper, unpack the nasal swab and avoid contact with the swab head with your hands;
Head slightly tilted, one hand to hold the swab tail pasted on one side of the nostril to enter, along the bottom of the lower nasal passage slowly backwards for 1-1.5 cm, the nasal cavity rotated at least 4 times (stay time is not less than 15 seconds), and then use the same swab to repeat the same operation on the other nasal cavity;
A nasal swab after the sample is collected is tested according to the instructions.
Once the antigen test is positive, regardless of whether there are respiratory, fever and other symptoms, residents should immediately report to the community (village and town), and the community (village) will contact the emergency center and transfer the residents to a medical institution for nucleic acid testing in accordance with the relevant work guidelines.
Can self-test results replace nucleic acid results?
No, nucleic acid testing is still the basis for confirming the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection.
The "Basic Requirements and Procedures for Self-Testing of New Coronavirus Antigens" in the pilot plan emphasizes that antigen testing is generally used for sample testing during the acute infection period, that is, within 7 days of the onset of symptoms in suspected people. Both positive and negative antigenic results in suspected populations should be further nucleic acid testing, and positive results can be used for early triage and rapid management of suspected populations, but cannot be used as a basis for confirming the diagnosis of new coronavirus infection.
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