Self-test will not serve as proof of travel and events; see guidelines

Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) released the sale of self-tests in Brazil this Friday (28). However, this will not happen immediately – each company will need to apply for registration with the regulatory agency to market the product.

With the self-test, the person performs all the testing steps, from sample collection to result interpretation, without the need for professional help, carefully following the information in the instructions for use.

However, the self-test is included in the Ministry of Health’s PNE (National Plan for the Expansion of Testing for Covid-19), as a new screening tool for Covid-19.

In this way, the person, from the positive result, should seek a health unit or telecare so that a professional can carry out the confirmation of the diagnosis, notification and relevant guidelines for surveillance and health care.

As it is being treated in the PNE as a screening tool, it will not serve as proof in travel and events that require the presentation of Covid-19 tests.

It also cannot be used as proof of the person’s state of health to request a license or medical certificate.

Only tests performed by health professionals, who present official reports regarding the identification or not of the antigen or genetic material of the virus in the sample, are accepted as vouchers for travel, events and medical reports.

See the guidelines of the Ministry of Health that were endorsed by Anvisa

Who can use the self-test?

Any symptomatic or asymptomatic individual, regardless of vaccination status. In children under 14 years of age, it must be carried out with the supervision and support of a parent or guardian.

The self-test should be used as a screening to allow early isolation and breaking the chain of transmission of the virus.

What to do if so?

The person must seek the health service in person or by telemedicine for the confirmation diagnosis and, thus, receive guidance and allow notification in the systems of the Ministry of Health.

The person should also isolate themselves and warn everyone around them.

What to do in case of a negative result?

The negative result does not rule out the possibility of having the virus. If you do not have symptoms, you need to maintain preventive measures.

If you have symptoms, it is important to have another test or seek care at a health facility for evaluation. If suspicion remains, performing an RT-PCR test, considered the gold standard, is recommended.

What to do if the result is invalid?

The invalid result has no value, that is, it cannot be considered. The product must be discarded and a new test carried out.

Is there an adequate period to make the collection?

Yes. If the person has symptoms, the self-test can be used in the period between the first and seventh day of the onset of symptoms.

If you do not have symptoms, the self-test can be used from the fifth day of contact with an individual with Covid-19.

Where to buy the self test?

The person will be able to buy the self-tests in pharmacies, drugstores and health establishments that are licensed with the sanitary surveillance, such as the medical products trade.

These establishments will also be able to sell online.

Are there any recommendations for not using the self-test?

Yes. It should not be used if the person has severe symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath, low levels of oxygen saturation, cyanosis (bluish color in the nails, skin, lips), lethargy (deep sleep), mental confusion, signs of dehydration.

In these cases, it is recommended to seek a health service.

Can a company buy self-test and provide it to its employees?

As the self-test can be used by any individual, symptomatic or not, regardless of their vaccination status or age, there is no restriction for companies to provide it to their employees.

When traveling or at events that require the presentation of Covid-19 tests, can the self-test be used?

No. The self-test does not provide a diagnosis and serves as a screening to guide the user about the risk of transmitting the virus and the measures that can be taken.

Only tests performed by health professionals, who present official reports regarding the identification or not of the antigen or genetic material of the virus in the sample, are accepted as proof for these purposes.

Can the self-test be used as proof of health status to apply for a license and medical certificate?

No. The self-test does not provide a diagnosis and serves as a screening to guide the user about the risk of transmitting the virus and the measures that can be taken.

What are the most common symptoms of Covid-19?

Fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, loss of smell/taste and body aches. Serious signs and symptoms are: shortness of breath, low oxygen saturation levels (below 95%), cyanosis, lethargy, mental confusion, signs of dehydration.

What are the types of self-test collections?

Self-tests can be performed with nasal swab (swab) collection or saliva collection, depending on the indication of the product.

Can one person perform the test on another?

It is not recommended that a person perform a test on another person – that would be like doing a common test, which, by the rules of the Ministry of Health, is only allowed for health professionals properly dressed in personal protective equipment.

However, in children under 14 years of age, the self-test must be performed with the supervision and support of a parent or guardian.

If you test positive for Covid-19, how long will you stay in isolation?

If, at the end of the fifth day since the onset of symptoms, the person has not had a fever for more than 24 hours or respiratory symptoms and has an antigen test, self-test or RT-PCR with a negative result, the isolation can now be suspended, as directed by the Ministry. of health.

If the test result, under the previous conditions, is positive, isolation must be maintained until the end of the tenth day of onset of symptoms, in addition to all preventive measures.

If at the end of the fifth day of onset of the condition there are still symptoms, a reassessment should be carried out at the end of the seventh and tenth days.

If, at the end of this period, the person has not had a fever for more than 24 hours and has no more respiratory symptoms, you can suspend isolation while maintaining preventive measures.

Regardless of the result, the person must maintain non-pharmacological measures until the tenth day (use of mask, distancing, hand hygiene), in addition to avoiding travel, places with agglomerations and contact with immunocompromised people or who have risk factors for worsening the disease. Covid-19.