The uncertainty around the pandemic has led us all to be vigilant and the inaccessibility to labs and the fear of contracting the virus in the test labs has led to increase in home-based self-test kits.
These are Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits and these are approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and are quite reliable and are easy and safe to use.
However, the real challenge lies in knowing the best and most reliable test kit that can give the most accurate results. In this article, we will help you understand all the features of Top 5 RAT test kits available in India.
The Top 5 ICMR approved Rapid Antigen Test Kits in India are
- Covifind from Meril
- CoviSelf from Mylab
- Panbio from Abbott
- Covid-19 Antigen Test from Angcard
- Covi-Catch from SD Biosensor
| Image | Product | Detail | Check for Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Covifind |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Mylab Coviself |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Panibo |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Covi-catch |
| Check On Amazon |
#1. CoviFind
- Covifind, marketed by Meril is among the best brands for testing for COVID-19 in home setup.
- This kit is an In-Vitro diagnostics immunochromatographic rapid assay kit for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific antigen in nasal swab specimens from symptomatic & asymptomatic individuals.
- The test kit is easy and safe to use and the detailed instruction manual that comes along with the package makes it a comprehensive test kit that can aid in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
- A positive test result can be considered as a true positive & does not need reconfirmation by RT-PCR test.
The company offers an accurate test result my the means of an official mobile application called CoviFind app that is self-explanatory and easy to use
Covifind
Salient features
- It is easy to use
- Quick results in 15 minutes
- Results are generated using AI technology through a mobile app
- Employs a user-friendly nasal swab for sample collection
- 4-step guided testing process makes it less prone to failure
#2. CoviSelf
- Developed and marketed by Mylab, CoviSelf is an advanced rapid antigen test kit that helps in detection of SARS – CoV-2 virus without having to visit the lab.
- The kit is an intelligently designed device that helps the users to check if they contracted the virus.
- The kit has a solution that controls and contains any biohazard and it also inactivates the virus thereby ensuring that users are safe.
The test results are not interpreted manually which may lead to errors and instead, an AI-powered mobile app takes the picture of the test result and interprets the result accurately
Mylab Coviself
Salient Features
- Comes with an intelligently designed kit that it is accurate and safe
- Has a solution that inactivates the virus and it contains and controls biohazard
- Uses a unique QR code for each kit to ensure ease and accuracy of test results
- Disposing the kit is easy and safe as it comes with safety disposable bag
- Has a dedicated mobile app to generate test results
#3. Panbio
- Abbott manufactured Panbio is next on our list of top self-test rapid antigen test kits available in India.
- This test kit can be deployed in both lab and home settings and is easy to use and produced accurate results.
- The kit comes with a detailed instruction manual that outlines the steps required to collect the sample and perform the test.
Panibo
Salient Fetures
- Quick identification of contagious virus
- Safe to use and deployed in large scale
- Has a self-contained tube that minimizes the exposure to virus
- The extraction tube is fully enclosed facilitating easy and safe disposal post usage
#4. Covi-Catch
- As the name suggests, this rapid antigen tests for qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 present in human nasal passage.
- The product is accurate, easy to use and provides quick and safe results in 15 minutes
Covi-catch
salient
- Easy to use
- Quick results in 15 minutes
- Obtained approval from the premier health authority in India
Apart from these kits that are available for use in a home setup, Tata Medical and Diagnostics has recently launched a test kit that can detect the presence of the Omicron variant, but in a laboratory setup. The test kit is called OmiSure and it has the approval from ICMR to be used in identifying if a Covid positive has been infected with the Omicron variant that has been wreaking havoc after the Delta variat earlier. There is also another indigenously developed government-run RT-PCR testing kit called ‘Om’ that was jointly developed by CSIR and Central Drug Research Institute.
That’s begs the most pertinent question. What are these tests after all? What is Rapid Antigen Test and what is RTPCR test? Let’s understand both in detail.
How COVID-19 Tests work?
Real Time RTPCR Test –
Considered as the god standard in detecting the presence of SARS-CoV2 virus in a patient, RT-PCR is the most reliable test available today. RTPCR test is used to find the genetic material present in the virus that is obtained from either the nose or moth swab of a patient.
YouTube link: Difference between RT-PCR, Antibody & Rapid Antigen test – YouTube
Timestamp: 1:05
The COVID-19 virus contains only RNA (ribonucleic acid) as the only genetic material and the lab technicians convert this viral RNA to DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) by the process called as Reverse Transcription and a specific part of the virus is amplified thousands of times to confirm the presence of the COVID-19 virus.
The test is very accurate and its high specificity ensures that the test is very accurate. Also, a screening and confirmation test is done to eliminate the chance of false-positives or false-negatives. The test results can be obtained in 3-4 hours.
Antigen Rapid Test
This is a rapid test that can be done at home and it relies of the lateral flow method generally used in testing pregnancy. This test results can be obtained in 15-30 minutes. The test checks for the presence of a surface protein on the SARS-CoV2 using a test and control lines present on the test kit.
The sample is pipetted on the designated area on the kit and through capillary flow; the sample indicates the presence of the virus in patient.
- Two lines indicate the presence of the virus (Timestamp: 0:52)
- Only one line at ‘C’ indicates negative result (Timestamp: 0:52)
- And only one line at ‘T’ indicates that the test was faulty and needs to be repeated
The working principle of a RAT depends on the antibodies. Three types of antibodies are used in detecting the presence of the virus
- Primary antibody (labeled and mobile)
- Primary antibody (immobilized)
- Secondary antibody (immobilized)
These mobile antibodies can bind with the specific protein on the virus particle and then the second set of the antibodies also perform the same thing but they are immobilized on the test kit and finally the last set of antibodies called the secondary antibodies that can bind with certain parts of the primary antibodies
So, when the sample is pipetted, it flows from the test area to the first set of antibodies and in the event of the presence of the virus, the antibody binds with the protein in the virus and through capillary flow moves to the test area
Here in the test area, the immobilized antibody also binds with the protein of the virus thereby coloring the test area
The rest of the sample that is not captured moves on the control area and here the secondary antibody binds with the primary antibody thereby ensuring that the sample has flown through the test kit
In case the sample doesn’t contain any virus, only the secondary antibody will bind with primary antibody indicating the absence of the virus.
Differences between Antigen and RT-PCR Tests
| S.No | Rapid Antigen Test | RT-PCR | |
| 1. | Technique | Relies on antibodies binding the protein on the virus | Relies on Reverse Transcription of viral RNA to DNA and detect the presence of virus |
| 2. | Reliability | Less reliable compared to RT-PCR | Gold standard in the industry |
| 3 | Time Taken for results | 15-30 mins | 3-4 hours |
| 4 | Cost | Cheaper than RT-PCR | Comparatively costlier |
| 5 | Level of ease | It is easy to use and can be done at home | Requires professionals to perform in a laboratory setup |
| 6 | Specificity | Low specificity thereby it is less accurate | Very high specificity thus is more accurate |