COVID Test Kit

Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds.

The kit comes with two tests. Each contains three main items: a collection swab, a test strip and a small vial of liquid. Place them all on a clean surface.

Open the collection swab and insert it into each nostril, rotating five times against the inner wall. You should insert the swab ½ to ¾ of an inch into the nostrils. "A good way to visualize that is it's about the size of the tip of your pinkie finger," Alvarado explained. "Though it doesn't hurt, it does feel really funny." Then put the swab back into its packaging; you'll need it again.

Tap the bottom of the vial of liquid three times on a hard surface.
Open the large cap and insert your swab into the vial, then stir the swab 15 times.

Squeeze the sides of the vial against the swab as you pull it out. "This is a crucial step, because it ensures that you get every last bit of the collection," Alvarado noted. Then put the cap back on the vial.

Open the test strip. "You'll see that it has both a "C" and a "T," Alvarado said.

Open the smaller, top cap on the vial of liquid, then squeeze three drops of your sample into the collection area of the strip.

Set a timer for 15 minutes. Don't disturb the test strip during this time.
Read your test.

The use of diagnostic assays to detect COVID-19 in the United States has been immensely challenging for various reasons including supply chain shortages, funding and staffing challenges and overburdening of the healthcare system. It is important to understand that different SARS-CoV-2 test methodologies serve unique purposes in this pandemic, and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to the crisis. While PCR assays are highly sensitive and excellent for diagnosing acute infection, they are expensive and require the use of special reagents, equipment and specially trained clinical laboratory scientists, all of which have been stretched thin during the pandemic so far. Serology testing is useful for determining if someone had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, but since it takes 1-2 weeks for antibodies to develop, it is not recommended for the diagnosis of acute disease.

Antigen tests are cheaper to produce than PCR tests and can be performed very quickly, making them an option worth considering as a screening tool. Once additional reliable antigen assays enter the market, it may be possible to scale antigen testing up to millions of tests a day in the United States, which could help ease the testing burden in some locations. While molecular tests can be performed in real time, supply chain and throughput challenges have made this unrealistic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implementing antigen testing in the COVID-19 testing algorithm could reduce strain on laboratories and reserve molecular testing for situations where high test sensitivity is required.