COVID-19 test kit for Australians to go home

Australians will be able to access the COVID-19 Home Rapid Antigen Test Kit from November, awaiting regulatory approval from the Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) scheduled for next month.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt Said On September 28th, you will learn to live with COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, so that Australians can live as safely as possible.

“This is an important additional protection for Australians. It’s a home test to support Australians and support national planning,” Hunt said.

The rapid antigen home test kit can return results in about 20 minutes and has been used overseas for several months.

TGA Deputy Secretary John Skelitt said he was confident that Australians would be able to take home tests in November.

However, he told the Senate Committee that TGA is trying to ensure that all home test kits must be able to detect delta variants of the CCP virus.

“Some tests don’t seem to want to name a particular product, some of them are very important products, but they seem to be much less sensitive to Delta,” he said. rice field.

To TGA Presentation Beginning October 1, companies will formally apply for TGA approval and create new regulations to legally supply COVID-19 household test kits for use in Australia after November 1. It’s a schedule.

Each test requires TGA approval and registration with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Authority (ARTG).

“This is an important step in supporting Australia’s national program to transition to national COVID-19 compliance, consistent with the time frame in which approximately 70% of Australians are expected to receive double vaccination. “I will,” said TGA.

TGA has appropriate support available to consumers seeking form advice and help, including online videos, 1800 phone numbers, and website fact sheets for consumers seeking help for approved tests. Also states that it is necessary.

The TGA will also ensure that states and territories have appropriate systems in place prior to the release of the test so that consumers with a positive rapid antigen test result can immediately undergo a confirmatory PCR test with COVID. I also noted that it was necessary. 19 test center.

This may mean that state and territory governments may need to implement strategies to force people who test positive at home to undergo PCR testing.

Australian authorities were cautious about approving the use of test kits for home use due to concerns about accuracy compared to swabs on the nose and throat.

However, Hunt is confident that the kit will provide Australians with an additional layer of pandemic protection.

“One of the important things is that you can supplement a test called a PCR test (a test that everyone knows if you go to a federal or state clinic) with a home test,” he says. I did.

Once approved, Hunt said it will be available for rapid antigen testing at pharmacies across Australia.

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