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Do a quick corona test at home: you have to pay attention to this

2022-06-30T08:32:48.371Z


With the end of free citizen tests, more home kits are being used again. There are a few things to keep in mind – especially in summer.


Enlarge image

Corona tests have been part of everyday life for most people for a long time

Photo: Catherine Falls/Getty Images

Everyone can test themselves for the corona virus at home with self-tests.

You can get them in the supermarket, the drugstore and sometimes from your employer: self-tests for the corona virus have accompanied us through the pandemic for a long time.

In the future, even more people are likely to fall back on it, because the free citizen tests will soon be a thing of the past for many.

But although the enclosed description shouldn't really leave any questions unanswered, there are sometimes still uncertainties when using the self-tests.

What you should consider:

Proper storage

The corona self-tests should not be stored too warm or too cold at home.

If the tests are in the blazing sun, for example, where the temperature is more than 30 degrees, the risk of false-negative test results increases, as the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) writes on its portal “together-againstcorona.de”.

The test then does not show a second line, although an infection with the corona virus is present.

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As a rule, the self-tests can be stored at room temperature.

The temperatures at which the box with the test can be stored are stated on the packaging or at least in the package insert.

The important thing is that the tests should always be at room temperature when they are used – so if you have stored them in a cooler place, you should leave them on the work surface for a certain amount of time and not use them immediately.

According to the BMG, severe temperature fluctuations can result in water condensing in the test kit.

This significantly reduces the performance of the tests.

Take the sample

In order not to falsify the test result, hygiene is important.

Before you get started, you should wash your hands and the work surface should also be clean.

As a rule, a nasal swab is required for the self-test.

And in both holes.

Putting the swab in just one is not enough.

"As a result, you may not get enough secretion on the swab," says ENT doctor Bernhard Junge-Hülsing.

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Some test instructions state that you blow your nose thoroughly before the swab.

The idea behind it: By blowing your nose, secretions and thus possible viruses are blown further forward from the deeper nose and throat area.

Junge-Hülsing is skeptical as to whether this will make the test more accurate – that is, whether more potential viruses will actually stick to the cilia in the front of the nose than with normal exhalation.

He doesn't think the previous blowout is a good idea.

According to Junge-Hülsing, the color of the control line on the test cassette provides an indication that comparatively little secretion landed on the swab.

“If its color is very pale, that means there is little secretion.” Then, according to the doctor, the risk of a false negative result increases – meaning that the test is negative even though you have been infected.

Otherwise, the following applies when handling the swab: caution and sensitivity, otherwise there is a risk of injury.

During the self-test, the swab does not have to be pushed to the point where the nose meets the throat.

Two to four centimeters deep into the nostril is sufficient.

Those who are uncomfortable with nasal swabs or who want to test their children without too much stress can now also use spit tests.

Interpret the result correctly

When the test result can be read is sometimes different.

For most providers, the time span is between 15 and 30 minutes.

more on the subject

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By now it should be known: The C found on the test strip on most tests does not stand for Corona, but for Control, i.e. control.

"If there is no line at C, the test is useless," explains Junge-Hülsing.

The T stands for test - this is the relevant digit for the question of whether one is positive or negative.

In concrete terms, this means: If lines can be seen at C and T, the test was positive.

If only C shows a line, the test is negative.

If only a line is visible at T, it is invalid - this also applies if no line appears at all.

It is irrelevant for the result whether the second strip appears strong or pale.

A dash means a positive result and one should act accordingly.

Not 100% security

In the case of self-tests, one should also bear in mind that they do not detect every corona infection, even if they are carried out properly.

This conditional validity has been known for a long time.

In addition, the quality of the tests varies greatly.

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) regularly conducts random checks to determine how reliable which tests are.

In this way, users can find out how good their test is.

mar/dpa

Source: spiegel

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