The package leaflets of the corona self-tests are not always easy to follow. How did that happen? And where can you find an understandable explanation?
If you buy tests at different stores, you will soon notice that there is not always a clear package leaflet. If you are unlucky, you will receive a package leaflet in a foreign language or no leaflet at all. And if you do have a Dutch package leaflet, it is not always clear. on Linked Communications specialist Renate Verloop expressed her surprise at the text in her package insert: “Then add the processed specimen to the sample well away from the cassette. Remove the swab while squeezing the sides of the tube to release the liquid from the cassette. tube to extract.”
For many people, a ‘monster’ is a furry beast from childhood stories. And a ‘cassette’ used to contain music by Duran Duran. Not to mention the ‘swab’ from which we have to ‘extract’ or the ‘specimen’ to which we have to add the ‘sample’. No clear language.
Self-test important in strategy
During the press conference at the end of November, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte called for a self-test before visiting friends or family. In education, everyone is advised to do a self-test twice a week, just to be sure. Since last week, the self-tests can also be taken used for minor complaints, instead of a visit to the test street of the GGD. Self-tests for the coronavirus are therefore becoming increasingly important in the cabinet’s strategy against the coronavirus. Why has this not been properly arranged yet?
Requirements for self-test
According to the law under which these self-tests fall, there must always be a Dutch package leaflet with a self-test. Who checks for that? The NOS explained clearly in this article out how it is. The self-test must initially be able to demonstrate whether you are infected with the coronavirus or not. The manufacturer declares this with a CE marking, and this is supervised by the inspection (IGJ). If a self-test works well, that does not mean that it is also suitable for consumers, who start working with it at home. RIVM assesses this on the basis of requests made by manufacturers. The assessment of the package leaflet is part of this.
But the problem is that RIVM has not yet processed all applications. The self-tests on the market are therefore not all approved yet. Some of them already meet all the requirements. These can be recognized by a CE marking with 4 digits. Another part has only a ce mark, without numbers. These tests have been granted a temporary exemption from the rules on self-tests. That expires quickly, namely on December 31, 2021. The question is what will happen to these tests after that and whether they are still approved. The tests that have been approved can be found here.
Helpful Tips
For those who want help reading the self-test package insert, here are a few more helpful tips:
The government has developed educational materials, such as this clear spoken video of the virtual Steffie: https://corona.steffie.nl/nl/modules/zelf-testen/#!/1610/stap-1.html
This folder has also been made, with clear explanations: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binaries/rijksoverheid/dossiers/publicaties/2021/08/09/flyer-zelftesten-bij-brief-gratis-zelftesten-bestellen/flyer-bij-brief-gratis-corona-zelftesten- order.pdf
On Youtube you can find videos of manufacturers with explanations, such as this one from Flowflex. https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=aEqkQ9ckpE0
call
“Remove sealing film and place the swab in the sample tube,” says a Lyher insert. Have you also read cryptic or special sentences in the package leaflet of the corona test? Reply under this post.
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