Qured rapid antigen test
BACKGROUND
British Airways has partnered with Qured to offer discounted rapid antigen test kits. These cost £33.15 (compared with the list price of £39) and use a diagnostic lateral flow device (LFD) to detect a protein found in the virus. According to Qured, the LFDs that it uses have been independently validated by Public Health England. The idea is that customers can pre-book the test kits, pack them for their trip and then avoid the hassle of finding a testing facility or provider abroad (in most cases you have to provide proof of a negative test taken within 72 hours of travel to be allowed entry to the UK). Qured tests can only be delivered to UK addresses so order it before departing the country.
HOW TO BUY
You can order direct from Qured or visit the BA website and scroll down to the “If you need a Covid-19 test” section. There are two options for delivery: DX Group is free for nationwide delivery and promises a next-day service if you book by 3pm. A £29 courier option includes next-day drop-off within the M25 if you book by 6pm.
BOOKING YOUR SLOT
I tested this in the UK rather than abroad but the process is the same. After paying you will be sent a link to book a video call with a health professional who will oversee the process. When abroad you would then book the consultation in advance, and time it within 72 hours of departure back to the UK. The service can be easily rescheduled in the event of delays or changed plans.
THE VIDEO CALL
Once you book you will receive an email with a link to the digital waiting room. On the day of your test you will receive a reminder an hour before the scheduled time. Before the call, unpack the components of the kit – it includes a test cassette in a foil wrapper, a plastic tube, a swab in a sealed wrapper, and a bottle of solution – and have a pen and a timer to hand (I used my phone). The package contains instructions on how to administer the test but the health professional will guide you through this.
I joined the waiting room ten minutes ahead of my 11am slot as suggested, and the health professional messaged me on the service to ask if I was ready a few minutes in advance. She was warm and kind and knowledgeable about the test and its accuracy – they have a true positive rate of at least 96.4 per cent and a true negative rate of at least 99.5 per cent.
The procedure is quick – to begin with, you unscrew the top of the plastic extraction tube and empty the solution into it before resealing. I was instructed to put it to one side and open the package with the swab in it from the plastic end, making sure not to touch the fabric part. With your face in the video frame, you then open
your mouth wide and rub the fabric tip of the swab in circular motions five times on each side at the back of your throat. Next, you rotate the swap ten times inside each nostril (some kits only require nasal swabs), then put the fabric end of the swab into the extraction tube and rotate it for ten seconds in the solution.
When removing it, squeeze the tube and fabric end of the swab to extract as much fluid as possible, then press the cap back on to the tube and stand upright in a cup to avoid leaks.
The health professional will then ask you to hold up the cassette tape, which looks similar to a pregnancy test, and squeeze two drops from the extraction tube into the specimen well (marked S) on the tube as they watch. Put the cartridge on a flat surface and set a 20-minute timer.
RECEIVING YOUR RESULT
Once the timer sounds, you will be able to see your result. If there is only one visible line by C then the test is negative.
A visible line on C and T indicates that it is positive and if there are no visible lines then the test is invalid and will need to be conducted again.
The test will need to be verified by the Qured team – to do this, you email a photograph of the cassette tape with visible lines alongside photographic ID to receive your official result. If you upload this any later than 30 minutes after your appointment it will no longer be valid. I received a text and email by 11.36am stating that my official result was available on the portal, with a “fit to fly” certificate validating that I was permitted to travel.
VERDICT I was impressed with this service – it was quick, cheap and easy, with my negative result and certificate ready within an hour. The kit is portable – I have since used it on a trip to Portugal – and the guidance from the health professional was clear. A great solution for those of us who are eager to travel again.