can you get a home test kit and how expensive is it? – Which? News

As the UK aims to ramp up its coronavirus testing, find out what you need to know about the different types of test, their availability, and why not to go for a pricey private test.

Last week, Public Health England (PHE) announced that a simple home test kit for coronavirus should soon be available.

The UK has bought 3.5 million antibody tests, which – if they work the way they are meant to – would quickly and easily tell you whether you’d recently had COVID-19, something which could be a real game-changer.

But these tests are still being validated, and are initially intended for frontline health workers. They are not available to the general public yet – so you should be cautious of any company selling COVID-19 tests.

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Coronavirus testing explained

There are two types of test available, and it’s important to understand the differences:

• Antibody test – this fingerprick blood test shows whether a person has already been infected by detecting the presence of the antibodies our bodies produce to kill the virus. They can show if you’ve been infected even after you’ve recovered – though it’s not known how long after. These tests are currently being validated and if successful will be rolled out first to NHS staff who are self-isolating to determine whether it’s safe for them to go back to work.
• Antigen test – this swab test already exists and tells us whether a person is currently infected with the disease. The latest figures show that 134,946 people have been tested in the UK so far. Currently these tests are mostly being used on seriously ill people who are already in hospital, but the government’s aim is to ‘scale up’ the number of people being tested to 25,000 per day by mid-April. The test is now being rolled out to NHS workers, with critical care doctors and nurses first in line. This type of test takes longer to process as the samples need to be processed in a lab.

Mologic, a diagnostic company helping to develop the antibody test, said: ‘the [antibody test] device will allow users to test for exposure to the virus at home, in the community, or in the clinic, providing a result within 10 minutes.’ The test involves a finger-prick to draw blood, which is then analysed by a small device.

Don’t buy pricey COVID-19 home test kits

Some private companies are already touting at-home COVID-19 detection kits for sums of up to £300, which are currently not endorsed by Public Health England.

In a statement on their website about quick at-home tests, PHE says: ‘There is little information on the accuracy of the tests, or on how a patient’s antibody response develops or changes during COVID-19 infection. It is not known whether either a positive or negative result is reliable.’

London’s Harley Street Clinic and an online GP company called Qured have already come under criticism for offering expensive COVID-19 tests to the public. Harley Street Clinic’s test is now not available.

Qured claims on its website that its test is PHE approved. But when we asked Public Health England, they directed us to the guidance on their website which says that the use of these types of products is not advised. We have approached Qured for comment.

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When will COVID-19 home tests be available?

Currently, it is not clear when antibody tests for COVID-19 will be available to the general public.

Confusion arose when it was announced last week that the kits would be available via retailers Boots and Amazon.

Both companies are assisting in efforts to administer tests to NHS staff, along with Royal Mail, but PHE made it clear that ‘testing will not be done at Boots stores and these tests will not be available over the counter or for purchase online from any retailers.’

There is no information yet as to how much the test will cost if it does become available to the general public, but the Director of the National Infection Service at PHE predicted that it would be ‘minimal.’

Last week, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty downplayed suggestions that home test kits would be widely available in the near future.