Home COVID-19 testing kits to be released this year

Antigen test kits are being used in Europe, Britain, and the US to test for Covid-19 at home. 

These tests are designed to provide the user with quick results in a time of 10-15 minutes, making them extremely convenient. However, there have been claims that the results may not be as precise as PCR tests. 

Image from Myhealth1st.com.au

Currently, these tests have yet to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as they need to be checked for their ability to detect the Delta variant. They must also be adapted to be suitable for home use. Until their approval, the supply and advertisement of them is illegal in Australia and anyone who attempts to sell them can be fined up to $840,000 and potentially face up to five years in prison. 

According to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, there is a good chance that these home testing kits will be made available to the public before the end of the year. 

“We would like to see these available by Christmas if not well before,” Mr Hunt said in The Age.

While the supply of these tests will make testing for COVID-19 more convenient and possibly safer, they will not be used instead of the PCR tests due to the possibility of inconclusive results.

Mr Hunt stressed, “It’s an additional protection,”

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