HYDERABAD: As people experiencing mild symptoms have been increasingly opting for a self-test for Covid-19 with home kits, experts have raised concerns. In contrast to the first and second waves, the use of readily-available home test kits has increased in the third wave.
Taking advantage of the situation, the prices of kits have been raised to 600 from the original price of around 250. According to Anand Jain, distributor of health care needs,
Dreams
, enquiries for the kits have increased in the third wave. “Enquiries have doubled during the third wave. People were not really aware about self-check kits before. There has been a lot of campaigning done about these kits. Many think when symptoms are mild self-check tests are enough,” he told TOI.
Besides the ease of access, another reason for the increased use of these kits is that many people are afraid of standing in lines. The cost of the kits is also lower than the cost of
RT-PCR
tests where the samples are collected by private diagnostic labs.
Coronavirus live updatesFor their part, some shopkeepers have been selling the kits at higher rates because there was limited supply till recently. “I went to buy a kit, I had to pay 600, but I took it because I had aged parents at home,”
Mekala Chandrasekhar Reddy
, a private employee, said.
Meanwhile, doctors and experts say that self-testing kits are not the best option. They should only be used in extreme cases where regular testing is not immediately available.
“Very rarely one or two cases are found through home tests as well,” Dr
Y Sridhar
, critical care consultant,
Jubilee Hills Apollo
, said. “It is advisable to do follow up with regular RT-PCR tests even if the home test is negative and symptoms persist. These kits can only be used in emergency situations. Regular tests are always better,” he added.