Coronavirus STM issued guidelines for home tests: For asymptomatic exposures, a home test at least twice every three days

Social- and the Department of Health (STM) recommends home testing for coronavirus, especially for those with mild coronavirus-like symptoms and for those under 12 years of age and their parents and siblings at the same time.

On Wednesday, STM announced a recommendation for voluntary home testing, which was prepared by a group of experts it set up.

The group also recommends that those who are asymptomatic exposed to the coronavirus take a home test at least twice every three days.

Thus an asymptomatic exposed person can “reasonably ensure” that they have not received an omicron transformation, says the chairman of the expert group, the Chief Physician of the Hospital District of Southwest Finland Mikko Pietilä.

“After that, the likelihood of getting an omicron is getting lower all the time.”

So can voluntary quarantine be terminated for another test? According to Pietilä, it depends, for example, on whether the exposure has been continuous in a family circle or an individual case.

“However, three days from the last exposure is usually enough.”

Home test there is no automatic need to confirm a positive result with a formal test in healthcare, says STM.

However, formal testing is still recommended within local testing capacity. In Uusimaa, for example, testing has been significantly reduced.

“Reasons for ensuring a positive home test result in healthcare can be e.g. the need for an isolation or quarantine decision and the corresponding daily allowance, the need to obtain a result for a corona passport, serious symptoms, belonging to a risk group, pregnancy or working in nursing or care work, ”the bulletin states.

For example, a home test does not entitle you to an infectious disease daily allowance or to enter an coronary passport.

Read more: Labor market organizations and STM are preparing an amendment to the law that would secure a communicable disease allowance without quarantine or isolation

If the result of the home test is positive, it should be treated in the same way as the official result: you should stay at home, minimize contacts and, if possible, inform your contacts about the previous 2-3 days.

According to STM, a negative result does not rule out the possibility of infection.

“A symptomatic person should avoid contact regardless of the pathogen.”