At Pacific Medical Products, we offer the QuickVue COVID At-Home Rapid Test Kit (FDA Approved) that tests for all variants of the COVID-19 virus. Reported to be up to 99.2% accurate, the QuickVue test is intended to detect the presence of nucleocapsid proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the comfort of your own home. With two tests supplied per pack, this is one of the most reliable methods to test for COVID-19 at an affordable cost.

However, there are other ways to obtaining an at-home COVID test. Many pharmacies and retail store carry tests nowadays, although, make sure to visit the FDA website to ensure these options are on the list of authorized tests. If you are unable to obtain a self-test, you may also visit a community testing site or call your local health department for more options.

When to Take a COVID Test

Let’s make this clear, you should take a COVID test immediately if you are experiencing any symptoms.

Although, there are other circumstances where people should strategically time when taking their COVID test. Such as before a party or large gathering, it’s important to take your test right before the event to ensure your negative status, which is especially important when attending an event with immunocompromised individuals. Additionally, if you believe to have been exposed to COVID-19 recently, waiting at least 5-days after exposure to take your test will ensure accurate results.

How to Use an At-Home COVID Test

Across the board, all at-home COVID test kits operate the same way, let’s break down these steps:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and establish a clean surface to take your test.
2. Open the swab packet and insert the swab ½-and-inch into each nostril, rotating five-or-more times against the inner wall of your nostrils.
3. Open the large vial cap and insert your swab into the liquid, stir thoroughly.
4. Squeeze the sides of the vial, pinching the swab as you pull it out, then secure the large cap back onto the vial.
5. Open the small vial cap and squeeze three drops of the liquid into the collection area of your test strip.
6. Wait 15 minutes to read your test.

When reading the results, you’ll notice there’s a “C” and a “T” located on the center face of your test strip. If there’s a line indicated under “C”, which stands for Control, that means your test is working correctly. If there’s no line under “C”, this means that you’ll need to re-test with a new COVID test. After 15 minutes, if there’s a line under the “T”, this means that you’ve tested positive for COVID-19. If there is no line under the “T” after 15 minutes, this means that you’ve tested negative for COVID-19.

Next Steps If Tested Positive

If your test indicates that you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, there’s some actions you should immediately take to ensure the safety of yourself and others. After telling your close friends and family, it’s important to isolate in your home for a minimum of 5 days to prohibit the virus from spreading. If you do have to leave the house for any reason, wear a well-fitted N95 mask when out in public. Finally, seek medical care immediately if COVID symptoms continue to worsen. It’s important to inform your healthcare provider that you’ve tested positive with COVID-19 as they may have access to additional health treatments.

Pacific Medical Products

Masking up is one of the best ways to prevent spreading COVID-19. Whether you’re looking for face masks, O2 Nose Filters, or other protective equipment, you can find all the PPE you need at Pacific Medical Products. We understand there’s a lot of concern about fake 3M masks, which is why we purchase all our 3M masks directly from two of the world’s largest 3M distributors, Medline and McKesson, who by contract only buy direct from 3M. Every mask is 100% authentic with lot numbers that can be tracked back to the manufacturer. Quality and trust are of utmost importance to us here at Pacific Medical Products. You can buy with confidence.