Few people read lowercase text, but the manufacturers of Covid home tests clearly state that they cannot guarantee the effectiveness of these products if stored in hot or cold conditions.
This only came to the attention of many when the Agency for Security of Supply last week found that temperature limits pose challenges to the distribution of tests to municipalities for use by schoolchildren. In a press release on the effort, the agency pointed out that logistics and test reception must be arranged so that the temperature of the consignments does not fall below + 3C at any point.
The distribution of rapid test kits to schoolchildren among municipalities will begin this week.
Since last spring, the Pamark Group has imported and sold more than ten million home tests to pharmacies and retail stores. Demand for rapid tests rose sharply as the fourth wave of the pandemic began last fall.
The companyโs range includes the Boson Antigen Rapid Test, one of the most common home tests on the market.
The kit package states that the test should be stored at +4 to +30 degrees. If the test temperature falls below or above these limits, the manufacturer does not guarantee the product.
The importer says that the right temperature range is maintained throughout its own transport chain.
"The temperature limit is observed in our transport chain from the factory to the warehouse and onwards, but after that we cannot take responsibility," says Sanna HokkanenPamark’s product group manager.
However, during the winter months, many consumers have purchased test kits and carried them home in the cold.
"If you buy something from a store, itโs up to you to decide how to get it home. Just like when buying ice cream, you have to think about whether it will melt on your way home," Sanna Hokkanen points out.
Heโs not willing to speculate on how long someone can walk out the door with a cold test kit in a shopping bag before it has a detrimental effect.
"Once the test has reached a temperature of plus three degrees or less, the manufacturer does not guarantee its operation. It depends on the outside temperature and how the test is packaged," says Hokkanen.
Reliability can suffer if it is exposed to cold
The prices of coronary virus tests have fallen since they were exempt from VAT earlier this year.
Kati VuorikallasThe medical director of the university’s pharmacy chain says that sales of Covid home packs were particularly strong in January, both in its pharmacies and online.
In addition to Boson, the chain also sells other brands, such as Aconia and Alltest, which have a recommended minimum storage temperature of plus two degrees.
He urges people to take test kits home quickly after purchase when itโs cold outside, rather than leaving the kits in a cold car.
"The reliability of the test may suffer if it is exposed to cold. In practice, this means that the test must be kept warm as soon as possible after coming from the pharmacy so that it is not exposed to the cold, at least for a long time," The mountain range explains.
Source: The Nordic Page