Rapid Antigen Self-Test Kits for COVID-19 will be available to most Australian's from Coles and Woolworths as soon as November 1st, 2021.
Coles confirmed they will be offering the TGA approved Hough Pharma COVID Antigen Nasal Test in packs of two and five and will be available at Coles supermarkets and via Coles Online. Coles says about the availability of the tests:
“Rapid Antigen Test kits will be available for sale at Coles supermarkets and via Coles Online in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, the ACT, and Tasmania from next week. We will be offering the TGA approved Hough Pharma COVID Antigen Nasal Test, in packs of two and five.”
Woolworths will also stock the Hough Pharma SARS-Cov02 Antigen Rapid Home Test Kit Nasal Swabs via their digital health and wellness business, ‘HealthyLife’ and are available in two packs for $30 and five packs for $50. There is also a 25 pack Business Solution for $350.
A Woolworths Group spokesperson explains:
“Rapid antigen testing is helping protect our distribution centre team members across Australia from COVID-19. We’re now looking to stock at home self-test kits, which have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, in selected stores from early November. HealthyLife will have tests shipping to customers from 1 November. Customers can pre-order them now, and also visit HealthyLife.com.au for more information on rapid antigen testing.”
From the HealthyLife website, the product description states:
"The Hough Covid-19 Home Test is intended for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens from individuals with symptoms or other epidemiological reasons to suspect a SARS-Cov-2 infection. This test is authorized for home use with self-collected direct anterior nasal swab samples from individuals aged 13 years or older or adult collected anterior nasal swab samples from individuals aged 7 years or older. The Hough Covid-19 Home Test is intended for use in patients within 7 days of symptom onset. This product cannot be shipped to WA or SA due to government state guidelines.”
It includes instructions for use, swabs, extraction bugger, extraction tubes with caps, test cassettes and a UV light. The package instructions illustrate the user to swab, swirl, squeeze and wait 15 minutes for the result. For more information on the product, please visit: https://shop.healthylife.com.au/collections/hough-pharma
If your result is positive, you must immediately isolate, and arrange to have a laboratory PCR test. It is noted that negative results may not mean that a person is not infectious and if symptoms are present you should also arrange to have a laboratory PCR test.
The Hough COVID-19 Home Test was approved by the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) on the 18th of October and is manufactured by BIOHIT HealthCare (Hefei) Co Ltd (China). It is one of nine TGA approved self-test kits for the home (at the time of writing). Further details can be found on the TGA website.
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