Private Coronavirus Tests: How They Work, Where To Get One, and the Cost

In the past, the NHS has done the bulk of Coronavirus testing in the UK. That is partly because it has had a monopoly and expertise over Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests.

However, while accurate, PCR tests tend to take longer, and to qualify for a free test, you must either be exhibiting symptoms or have been referred for testing by your local council.

Bear in mind that according to the WHO, an infected person should take the test within the first eight days of exhibiting symptoms. 

Reliance on NHS’ PCR test thus locks out most people who though asymptomatic, wish to know their COVID-19 status.

Also, the unavailability of PCR tests in some areas makes this mode of testing elusive in some instances. 

Thankfully, private test kits are now available and come in handy in letting you know your status fast.

Private COVID-19 tests are divided into two categories: Antigen tests and Antibody tests.

Both are available in the form of kits and have made home testing and clinical testing easy and, more importantly, fast.

Antigen Tests

Also known as lateral tests or Rapid Antigen tests, these are molecular diagnostic tests that determine whether one is infected with the SARs-CoV-2 virus.

Antigen tests use a sample collected from a patient. It may be a blood, urine, saliva, sweat, or mucous sample.

The test works by detecting the presence of nucleocapsid proteins in the sample. These are proteins the virus produces in an infected person.

Unlike PCR tests, the results of an Antigen test are rendered in a matter of minutes. 

An excellent example of the Antigen test is the Healgen COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test. 

It comes in the form of a kit containing all the equipment needed for the test, including a test cassette. 

To conduct a test using the Healgen COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test, you first collect a nasal or throat swab using a long cotton bud and place it in a mixing solution provided in the test kit.

After some minutes, place four drops of this mixture onto the testing well on the cassette. The results of the test are then displayed on the result screen of the cassette within 15 minutes.

Antibody tests

Also known as serology tests, Antibody tests operate by detecting the presence of coronavirus antibodies in a person.

Antibodies are blood proteins that a person develops upon recovering from certain illnesses. Ordinarily, these antibodies serve as a future security mechanism/ immunity against reinfection.

Antibody tests are therefore useful in flagging down asymptomatic (yet infected) persons and persons who have been infected with the virus in the recent past.

As the WHO has already established, both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients are capable of spreading the virus.

Therefore, the Antibody test arms us with information to enable us to make informed choices such as whether or not to travel, whether to seek medical intervention and whether to self-isolate.

Antibody tests are useful given their fast delivery of results compared to PCR tests.

An example of a reliable Antibody test is the Healgen COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Test.

This test requires a blood sample from the test subject, obtained through a finger prick.

Where to Get Private COVID-19 Tests

Please note that these tests’ manufacturers declared their conformity with the health, safety, and environmental protection standards of the European Economic Area (EEA).

Accordingly, you will find these tests having the ‘CE’ logo, meaning they are safe to use.

Below are the leading Private COVID-19 test suppliers in the UK and the prices of their respective tests. 

1. HandStations.co.uk

HandStations.co.uk has a proven track record of quality products at ethical prices. 

The company received governmental approval to mass-produce affordable Rapid Antigen tests in December 2020. 

So far, the company has developed two Antigen tests, namely the Healgen COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and the Panodyne COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test.

Presently, HandStations.co.uk Antigen tests are among only three tests that have thus far received governmental approval. 

The Healgen and Panodyne test kits have an impressive accuracy rate of 97.8%-99.6%, which has made their demand by schools, governmental institutions, and companies soar.

Both tests are available in retail and wholesale with their prices being as follows:

• £98.99 per box (retail price)

• £4,000 for1,000 boxes (wholesale price)

As far as antibody test kits are concerned, HandStations.co.uk offers the following highly dependable kits: 

You can purchase all these reliable test kits online at HandStations.co.uk.

2. Boots

The Boots Antigen test is an in-store service that goes for £120 per test. 

The company also has a Rapid test option but which is available in five stores only. 

The stores are located on Liverpool Street, Sedley Place, at Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Piccadilly.

These tests take anywhere between 10 minutes- 48 hours to render results at £79.99 per test.

However, to be eligible for Boots Antigen testing, one must make an appointment to visit the store, and be at least 5-years old.

3. Lloyds Pharmacy

The swab antigen testing at Lloyds Pharmacy is administered to persons aged 18 and over, and the results may take up to 3 days after the sampling process.

Orders for the test are placed online at £110 per test, and upon ordering, the kit is sent to you for sample collection. Once you are done taking samples, you are required to send them back for processing by the Boots lab.

It is also a requirement that in sending the samples, patients must use the Royal Mail Priority box. Upon receipt of your samples, you will receive a notification or acknowledgment of their safe arrival. 

Depending on circumstances, the results of your test may take 3-days or more from the date of the sample notification.

 

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