“I invite everyone, regardless of their vaccination status, to test themselves in the hours preceding these moments of celebration and family reunification.
It can be a PCR test, an antigen test but also quite simply a self-test ”, launched Jean Castex, Friday, December 17, 2021. Since then, pharmacists, who are for the moment the only ones authorized to sell them, sometimes face stock shortages.
These self-performed tests require several steps to be followed to ensure the reliability of their results.
Here are the steps to follow to properly perform your self-test:
Pour the reagent product into the test tube then place the open tube vertically
Push the swab into each nostril vertically for 2 to 3 cm
Make a rotation movement without forcing and press for a few seconds
Wring out the swab in the test tube containing the reagent for 10 seconds
Close the tube with the measuring cap
Pour four drops into the well of the strip
Wait 10 to 15 minutes
If two colored bands appear at the C and T markers, then the test is positive
If a band only appears in area C, the test is negative
The test is invalid if no band appears in zone C
Read also Covid tests: deadlines, reliability ... what you need to know to take precautions before Christmas
Once the test has been carried out, and in the event of a positive result, it is important to confirm the positivity with a pharmacist or in a laboratory.
Recording positivity is crucial to allow tracing of contact cases and prevent the spread of Covid-19.
For several months, self-testing for Covid-19 has made a place for itself in French homes.
The swabs, available in pharmacies for around € 25 per box of five tests, are not reimbursed by social security.
The self-test allows anyone 15 years of age or over to sample themselves at their home, when they wish.
