RATs are now the main way of testing for Covid-19 as cases continue to climb. Photo / Bevan Conley
Rapid antigen tests (RATs) have quickly become the main way the country tests for Covid-19.
Case numbers are going up daily as Omicron makes its mark, and the RAT has become the preferred means of testing because it gets results quickly.
The tests take around 20 minutes for a result, compared to the two to five days needed for a PCR test.
With the increasing spread of the virus, the likelihood of needing to use a RAT test in the future is fairly high.
Before preparing to take your test, wash your hands and lay out the equipment on a table. You will have a long nasal swab, a tube with solution inside, a dripper-cap for your solution and a testing tray.
Remove the nasal swab from the pouch and insert the soft end into one of your nostrils, up to two to three centimetres from the edge of the nostril.
Unlike PCR tests, you do not need to push far into your nostril, but it is not enough to swab the outer edge of your nostril either.
Slowly roll the swab five times over the surface of the nostril. Using the same end of the same swab, repeat the process in the other nostril.
Then, peel off the seal from the top of the solution and place the swab inside the extraction vial. Put the swab right down to the bottom and spin it around vigorously at least five times.
Remove the swab by squeezing the bottom of the vial and pulling it out. Put one of the stoppers on top of the vial once the swab has been removed. Mix thoroughly by flicking the bottom of the vial.
Open the packet containing the test. Turn the vial upside down and hold the sample over the well at the end of the kit and squeeze the solution in gently.
Each kit may be different, so ensure you read the instructions as to how many drops are required (generally it is around four).
How long it takes for the result will vary depending on the kit, but somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes. Make sure you check your kit specifically.
When reading your result, you will see a C and a T on the kit.
One line next to the C indicates the test is negative.
Two lines, one next to the C and one next to T indicate the test is positive.
No line next to C indicates the test is invalid and another test will be needed.
If you are positive, report your result on My Covid Record - log in at mycovidrecord.health.nz or call 0800 222 478 and press option 3.
Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin told Newstalk ZB they had several hundreds of thousands of RATs on the way and expected them to be on the shelves next week.
Shoppers would be able to buy a five-pack for $32.99, which is $6.60 a test.
RATs will be available for order online at The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery from today, with a plan to have them available in stores nationwide by next week, The Warehouse Group chief customer officer Jonathan Waecker said.
They cost $31.99 for a pack of five.
"All of The Warehouse stores offer a contactless click and collect service, and we will be prioritising RAT orders to have them available for collection as quickly as possible."
Where RATs are available in the Whanganui DHB region
• The CBAC on the Whanganui Hospital grounds
• Te Rito on the corner of Wicksteed and Watt Sts, Whanganui
• Tupoho Whānau Trust (pre-order required), 32 Wilson St, Whanganui
• Ruapehu Health, 38 Seddon St, Raetihi
• Whanganui Accident and Medical at Whanganui Hospital
• Stewart Street Surgery, 26 Stewart St, Marton
• Taihape Health Centre, 3 Hospital Rd, Taihape
• Bulls Medical Centre, 71 High St, Bulls
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