One of the major struggles during the pandemic was to book a slot for PCR test. Moreover, the emergence of new variants regularly caused unrest among the masses. Hence, getting a PCR test and result on time became a challenge for many. Sadly, many caught Covid even after receiving two doses of the vaccine. Some consider vaccine shots to be a great development in the field of science. Presently, at-home COVID-19 test kits are being used for convenience.

Accordingly, Real Research launched a survey to know public opinion on using at-home COVID-19 test kit. The survey asked opinions on the advantage of at-home COVID-19 test kits compared to PCR tests. Also, what is the disadvantage of at-home COVID-19 test kits? Likewise, how reliable are rapid at-home testing? Here are the results.

Highlights

  • At-home COVID-19 test kits are in huge demand in many countries
  • 23.89% say at-home COVID-19 test kits are available in their country
  • 58.29% prefer home test for COVID-19 to avoid a trip to the testing center

70.83% Said They Have Used At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit

To start, the survey asked respondents if they have ever used at-home COVID-19 test kits. A whopping, 70.83% said ‘yes’ while 29.17% said ‘no’.

COVID-19 testing kits
Figure 1: 29.17% have never used at-home COVID-19 testing kits

Accordingly, the next question asked respondents if COVID-19 test kits are in huge demand in their country of residence. On this, 72.55% said ‘yes’, 20.53% said ‘no’, and 6.91% said it is not yet available in their country of residence.

8.77% Say At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit Will Lessen Burden on Health Workers

The next question asks respondents when at-home COVID-19 test kits became available in their country. In response, 57.25% said less than 3 months, 23.89% said over a year, and 18.87% said about half a year.

COVID-19 to avoid a trip to the testing center
Figure 2: 58.29% prefer home test for COVID-19 to avoid a trip to the testing center

Furthermore, the survey asked respondents about the advantages of the at-home COVID-19 test kit. The answers are as follows: people can avoid a trip to testing centers (58.29%), it is convenient and easy to use (14.92%), helps reduce the burden on health workers (8.77%). Adding on, possible to produce rapid test results (6.34%), multiple serial testing is possible (3.85%), and do a test right away if symptoms are detected (3.32%).

72.78% Said They Prefer PCR Over At-Home COVID-19 Testing Kit for Themselves

Carrying on, respondents answered the next question regarding the disadvantages of COVID-19 test kits. Here, 63.11% said it is not as accurate as a PCR test. Moreover, 13.59% said it can be costly if purchased from pharmacies.

testing kit over PCR
Figure 3: 27.22% prefer at-home testing kit over PCR

In addition, 9.81% say test kits are unreliable and more likely to give false results. Meanwhile, 8.74% said various kits may interpret the results in different ways and 3.81% said it may not be easy to secure supply to binge buying.

Lastly, the survey asked respondents: if you had to get tested for COVID-19, which would you prefer, PCR tests or COVID-19 kits at home? The majority of 72.78% said PCR tests and 27.22% said at-home COVID-19 test kits.

Methodology

 
Survey TitlePublic Opinion on Using At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit
DurationFebruary 14 – February 21, 2022
Number of Participants30,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia,… Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.