The demand for rapid antigen self-test COVID-19 kits has increased as many people realize the self-testing can reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. What can we do before doing the test to get a more accurate result?

So far, there are a total of 16 self-test kits that have been approved by the Malaysian Medical Device Authority (MDA). Besides, the government has also set a retail ceiling price of RM19.90 for self-test kits to solve the problem of rising living costs. People must report their test result (regardless it is positive or negative) through MySejahtera after they have used the self-test kit. 

Although these kits are easy to use, they are actually quite sensitive. Public Health Malaysia stated that we need to take note of the following 5 things one hour before the self-test Otherwise, you will destroy saliva samples and lead to inaccurate test results.

1. No eating or drinking

2. No smoking

3. Don't brush your teeth

4. No chewing gum

5. Never use mouthwash or saltwater to rinse your mouth. On the contrary, it is possible to rinse your mouth with water to avoid leaving food or beverage residues in the mouth.

According to Public Health Malaysia, below are the low-quality saliva samples that are most frequently returned by the laboratory.

1. Saliva mixed with other substances

2. The amount of saliva is less than 1 ml

3. Saliva is not clear enough due to food or drink residue

4. There is toothpaste residue

All screening results are for reference only, and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing must be performed repetitively for verification.