At home Covid test kits are widely available now.
How to interpret results of your own tests done by you at home ?
None of the tests available now are perfect. The PCR tests are known to be the best and are considered to be the Gold Standard. But even they have some limitations. For example, PCR test will detect the minutest quantity of viral nucleic acids present in your sample. But it can’t say whether it is a living virus or dead or fractured virus. It can not tell whether you are infected now or have recovered from your infection. You see, the fresh CT Scan of a dead man will show a normal brain.
These at home tests are Rapid Antigen kits.
When they are positive, you are having the infection in your sample. But when the test is negative, you may not be free from the virus. This is called a False Negative report.
Keeping this in view here are few definitions of notations used.
- E= Exposure
- E+ : you have been exposed to a lab positive covid person (In your family, work space)
- E0 : No known exposure.
- S= Symptoms
- S+ : You have all the symptoms. Patients with flu and common cold will also come into this category.
- S0 : No symptoms.
- T= Test done by you at home.
- T+ : Tested positive by Rapid Test kit at home.
- T0 : Negative
- Q= Self Isolation for 7 days.
- Q+ : Self isolation mandatory
- Q0 : Not mandatory
Table showing all possibilities
| Exposure, Symptoms | Test result: T0 / T+ | Isolation mandate: Q0 / Q+ | |
| 1 | E0, S0 | T0 | Q0 |
| 2 | E0, S0 | T+ | Q+ |
| 3 | E0, S+ | T0 | PCR |
| 4 | E0, S+ | T+ | Q+ |
| 5 | E+, S0 | T0 | ? |
| 6 | E+, S0 | T+ | Q+ |
| 7 | E+, S+ | T0 | Q+, PCR |
| 8 | E+, S+ | T+ | Q+ |
I have not included the vaccination/ Previous infection status, though it is the 4th dimension of our testing conundrum
( to be noted..)
Though seems difficult, but you can be pretty independent if you follow this guideline along with my Covid Advisory for positive cases. the link is given below.
My Covid Advisory – (January-2022)
Dr Ramakanta's Ideas 