In the UK, rapid antigen tests have been used widely to complement PCR testing during the pandemic. The tests have been offered free to millions of people in England, for use at home or at test centres, workplaces and schools. They are widely used for school students in Britain who are close COVID-19 contacts. They have proven a safe and accurate alternative to home isolation and enable children to remain in class. Some countries also accept a negative rapid antigen test result from UK travellers as a condition of entry.
Across the UK, if you test positive for Covid with a lateral flow test (LFT), there is no longer any need to book a PCR test to confirm that result. You should report your result online or by calling 119, and self-isolate immediately. You will be contacted by the relevant tracing service so your contacts can be notified.
You can leave self-isolation seven days after the date of your first positive test (five full days in England), as long as you have two negative LFT results, 24 hours apart. The guidance that positive LFTs don't need a confirmatory PCR will remain in place while Covid case levels are high.
People who are eligible for the £500 "test and trace payment" in England will be asked to take a PCR so they can access financial support.
The rise of the highly transmissible Delta variant around the U.S. increased the demand for rapid antigen COVID-19 tests that could be purchased from a pharmacy without a prescription, used at home, school or work. On 9 September 2021, the White House announced several initiatives to improve access to rapid antigen tests. It used the Defence Production Act to boost the production of tests, requiring retailers to sell rapid tests at cost, distribute free rapid tests to community health centers and food banks and expand free testing in pharmacies.
On 6 October 2021, the White House committed another $1 billion towards rapid tests to “further mobilise testing manufacturers…to expand production of tests…based on the United States government’s commitment to procure an additional 180 million rapid tests over the course of the next year.” Much of these new procurements will provide free and increased rapid testing to community sites and long-term care facilities, designed to reach high needs populations in specific settings, but not necessarily increase supply for consumers.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore is deployed 100 vending machines across 56 locations islandwide, for distribution of Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits. If you’re a close contact of a COVID-19 case in Singapore, you can access up to three rapid antigen test (RAT) kits for free. The government has been successful in managing positive cases, even with the infectious Omicron strain with its' program called "test, trace, isolate, prevent".
In Germany, people are eligible for one free rapid test a week following an announcement in November by Health Minister, Jens Spahn.
Germany has more than 15,000 pop-up rapid test centres people can visit, while Germans can also pick up rapid tests for around €1.50. However, the country has faced its own shortages.
As Australians struggle to get hold of a COVID-19 rapid antigen test, several Australian companies have been waiting months for local approval of their RATs. Currently, only one of the 22 home tests approved by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is made locally, with 16 sourced from China, two from the US and the others from Korea, Singapore and Germany.
However, with the global Omicron wave seeing demand for RATs surging around the world, there are concerns Australia's current supply shortage could be exacerbated if planned shipments are diverted elsewhere. In particular, with the vast bulk of Australia's tests coming from China, a worsening Omicron outbreak there could further threaten supply if tests bound for export were requisitioned by the Chinese government.
To make matters worse, a lack of supply has led to price gauging. The country's competition watch dog is referring some reports of significant price hikes on COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has received over 1,800 reports from consumers about the self tests since Christmas Day with 90 per cent concerned about pricing.
ACCC chair Rod Sims said tests had been retailing in some areas at $20 to $30 per test, with some over $70 a test at smaller retail outlets. This is despite wholesale costs ranging from between $3.95 and $11.45 a test! The ACCC has contacted more than 40 test suppliers, major retailers and pharmacy chains seeking information about their costs, pricing and stocks.