Buy a home PCR test – how it works!

In the current coronavirus pandemic, the demand for tests to detect infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is enormous. Many people buy home antigen self-tests, considered less reliable than PCR tests. If you want to be sure, you should carry out a PCR test. Healthcare professionals can either do this, or you can buy a home PCR test. In April 2020, the responsible Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices approved a PCR test for the first time so that those affected could use themselves at home. Here, you can read what’s behind it.

COVID-19: PCR tests in short supply

An infection with the coronavirus is often challenging to recognize because COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, can cause very different symptoms. A PCR test is, therefore, essential for a reliable diagnosis. For this purpose, a swab is taken from the mouth, nose or throat and then examined in the laboratory for pathogens.

However, the capacity to carry out such tests is limited. Reasons for this include needing more materials, staff shortages or the high costs of such tests. Therefore, in Germany, it is clearly defined when a test for the coronavirus is carried out. For example, suppose an affected person has had known contact with someone who has been proven to be infected but does not show any symptoms. In that case, a test is initially dispensed with—the decision as to whether such a test is necessary lies with the doctor treating you.

This article will inform you about the exact criteria for such a test and the procedure.

 

Corona PCR test kit for home use

As early as April 2020, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) approved a test for the first time that private individuals can carry out themselves at home. This is the cerascreen® coronavirus test .

Such a corona test kit can be ordered on the Internet. It is delivered to your home, where the affected person can take a throat swab. This swab is then picked up by a courier service and examined in the laboratory using the gold standard PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method.

The evaluation is carried out in accredited specialist laboratories. Therefore, the results are considered as precise as a test carried out by medical personnel. It should be noted, however, that the smear must be carried out precisely according to the instructions supplied.

The test result is available 48 hours after receipt of the sample in the laboratory. The result report also provides recommendations for correct behaviour in the event of a positive or negative test result.

The corona test kit can be ordered directly from the supplier, cerascreen GmbH. The cost is 149 euros, including laboratory and shipping costs. Some private health insurance companies already reimburse these costs.

Advantages of this test procedure

This type of test procedure offers several advantages:

• Those affected do not need to go to the doctor’s office or hospital, which reduces the risk of spreading the virus further.
• The test can also be carried out if a PCR test by medical staff is not available, thus bringing certainty to those affected.
• On the one hand, this procedure could provide relief for medical staff and, on the other hand, reduce the risk of getting infected when testing infected people.

 

How is it different from other home tests?

Various tests for the coronavirus have been available for a long time, and private individuals can carry them out at home. These are usually antigen self-tests. These can indicate an acute infection with the coronavirus. While they have the advantage of being faster and less expensive, they are considered less reliable than a PCR test.

In concrete terms, this means that a PCR laboratory test must then confirm positive results. Adverse results, on the other hand, do not guarantee that you are not infected and contagious. Even so, antigen testing can help identify highly infectious people. These rapid tests are therefore used in hospitals, care facilities or schools, for example, to identify at least highly contagious infected people.

There are also antibody self-tests that you can take at home. Usually, the blood is examined instead of a swab from the throat. Such tests aim to detect antibodies against the coronavirus in the blood. However, this method is unsuitable for detecting a current infection because such antibodies often only form days or weeks after an infection. For this reason, antibody tests could be harmful; although an infection is present, no antibodies have yet been developed.

On the other hand, this procedure is well suited to checking afterwards whether, for example, an unnoticed infection was present. Antibody tests, therefore, play a crucial role, especially in existing immunity.

Are there other home PCR tests?

There are now other PCR tests on the market that you can carry out at home. As a rule, the principle is similar to that of the pioneer: the sample is taken using a swab, gargling or a spit sample. The evaluation is then carried out in the laboratory.

If you want to buy a PCR test at home, you should expect prices from 70 euros. Find out in advance whether your health insurance company will cover the costs. Samples can often be taken in front of the camera for an additional fee to certify the test result.

Test kits also take over the evaluation of the sample. This technology is already being used in the USA, particularly in the US startup Detect, which offers home PCR tests in which the smear test can be evaluated – the result is available within an hour. The complete test kit retails for $75 in the US. Also, in the United States, the Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit has received emergency use authorization as a home PCR self-test. However, a doctor’s prescription is required to order.