Fact check: COVID-19 antibody test at home? Truth behind viral video

The typical diagnostic tests being used at a large scale to diagnose COVID-19 involves testing the samples of mucus and saliva in a lab and the results are expected to take 24 to 48 hours.

A video doing rounds on instant messaging platform Whatsapp claims that a new test kit approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) can enable you to perform a rapid antibody test for COVID-19 within a few minutes from your home.

The test kit in the video is called "Abchek COVID-19 IgM/IgG Antibody Rapid Test" and it shows the test being done with blood sample of an individual. A rapid antibody test for the coronavirus can indicate past or present exposure to SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19, within 30 minutes. Apart from blood samples, the test can also be done using plasma and serum samples depending on the kit used, according to ICMR.

The typical diagnostic tests being used at a large scale to diagnose COVID-19 involves testing the samples of mucus and saliva in a lab and the results are expected to take 24 to 48 hours. An antibody test, on the other hand, tests the presence of the virus in the body and can give results in less than half an hour although it should be noted that a negative result doesn't rule out COVID-19 infection.

Abchek COVID-19 IgM/IgG Antibody Rapid Test kit is indeed approved by ICMR although the apex medical research body does not recommend rapid antibody tests for diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. 

ICMR says that a positive test result indicates exposure to SARS-CoV-2 but a negative result doesn't rule out COVID-19 infection. These rapid antibody tests can be used as a pre-screening test to generate data about how many people have been exposed to the virus. A total of 15 test kits have been approved by ICMR until now and the list of these kits can be found here.