A customer picks up a COVID-19 antigen self-testing kit in a pharmacy in Shanxi. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Pharmacies in North China's Shanxi province recently started selling COVID-19 antigen self-testing kits to further optimize testing.

The kits are generally used for early screening of infections and are mainly suitable for people who visit local medical institutions within five days of experiencing respiratory symptoms or fever and who are undergoing quarantine, as well as residents who want to take a test themselves.

Residents can buy the kits through retail pharmacies and online sales platforms.

People are advised to read the instructions and follow them carefully when conducting the test and it must be emphasized that the antigen test results cannot replace nucleic acid test results.

Those who receive positive antigen test results, regardless of whether they have respiratory, fever or other symptoms of the epidemic, should immediately report to the communities in villages and towns where they reside. They must take nucleic acid tests at designated medical institutions and carry out further epidemic prevention and control measures if necessary.