South Korea’s stores roll out COVID-19 self-test kits

The self-test kits received approval for emergency use in April.

Supermarkets and convenience stores across South Korea are now selling coronavirus self-test kits as the country is seeking to step up its testing capacity with no letup of new virus cases in sight, Yonhap has reported.

Self-test kits by two local drugmakers, Humasis and SD Biosensor, have been sold at local pharmacies after receiving approval for emergency use last month, and they have hit shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores to provide easier access to the public.

Convenience store chain GS25 started sales of the test kits, and its rival 7-Eleven started sales on 7 May. Discount store chain E-Mart said its major outlets in Seoul began to offer Humasis' test kits and will distribute more in other stores.

Health and beauty store chain CJ Olive Young also said it is selling Humasis' kits starting Friday at offline stores and on its online channel, with a parcel delivery service available.

A growing number of new cases has prompted the nation's health authority to approve the use of the at-home virus tests to detect patients at an early stage. Users can collect samples from their noses on their own for testing, and the results come out within 15-30 minutes.

If users receive a positive result from the self-test, they are required to visit screening stations to undergo preemptive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to get a more accurate result.