How to use an Abbott Panbio COVID-19 Rapid Test Device

How to use an Abbott Panbio COVID-19 Rapid Test Device

For patients suspected of having a COVID-19 infection, an Abbott Panbio COVID-19 rapid test device can get you a test result in just 15 minutes. These test kits help reduce the risk of facility contamination and healthcare worker exposure by allowing patients to test at home or off-site. Plus, they feature a self-contained tube with “break off” swab to further minimize staff exposure when handling samples.

Steps for Test Use

  1. Allow all kit components to reach a temperature between 15-30 °C prior to testing for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove the test device from the foil pouch prior to use. Place on a flat, horizontal and clean surface.
  3. Hold the buffer bottle vertically and fill the extraction tube with buffer fluid until it flows up to the Fill-line of the extraction tube.
  4. Place the extraction tube in the tube rack.
  5. Tilt the patient’s / your head head back slightly, about 45°-70°, in order to straighten the passage from the front of the nose.
  6. Insert the swab with a flexible shaft through the nostril parallel to the palate; the swab should reach depth equal to distance from nostrils to outer opening of the ear.
  7. Gently rub and roll the swab, 3-4 times. Leave the swab in place for several seconds to absorb secretions.
  8. Slowly remove swab while rotating it and insert into the extraction tube.
  9. Swirl the swab tip in the buffer fluid inside the extraction tube, pushing into the wall of the extraction tube at least five times and then squeeze out the swab by squeezing the extraction tube with your fingers. Then, break the swab at the breakpoint and close the cap of extraction tube.
  10. Open the dropping nozzle cap at the bottom of the extraction tube. Dispense 5 drops of extracted specimens vertically into the specimen well (S) on the device. Do not handle or move the test device until the test is complete and ready for reading.
  11. Close the nozzle and dispose of the extraction tube containing the used swab according to your local regulations and biohazard waste disposal protocol.
  12. Start a timer; after 15 minutes, read test results.

Be sure to dispose of the used device according to your local regulations and biohazard waste disposal protocol after your test is completed. The presence of only the control line (C) and no test line (T) within the result window indicates a negative result. The presence of the test line (T) and the control line (C) within the result window, regardless of which line appears first, indicates a positive result.

For a video demonstration, see below or click here to watch on our YouTube channel. To purchase Abbott Panbio rapid test devices, be sure to shop with JVL Enterprise Inc, your Canadian PPE specialists!