"Because It's Dangerous Outside"... Self-Diagnosis Kits Also Delivered

Olive Young, 228% Increase in One Week
Rising New Cases Cause Anxiety Over Testing Queues

Seven Eleven will hold a '1+1' event for COVID-19 self-test kits until the 31st.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] As the fourth wave of COVID-19 causes a surge in new confirmed cases, sales of self-diagnostic kits are skyrocketing. In particular, non-face-to-face demand for purchasing self-test kits through delivery order services is increasing. This is interpreted as more people avoiding going outside due to anxiety as crowds flock to temporary screening clinics.

According to CJ Olive Young on the 14th, the number of delivery orders for self-diagnostic kits from the 7th to the 12th increased by 228% compared to the previous week. Olive Young has been selling self-test kits through its official online mall and over 200 major stores nationwide since May.

Major convenience stores have also seen an increase in delivery orders for self-diagnostic kits. At CU, delivery sales from the 10th to the 12th increased by 220% compared to the initial introduction period. Sales are especially surging in the metropolitan area. At GS25, total sales of self-diagnostic kits from the 7th to the 12th rose by 205% compared to the previous month, with a 243% increase in the metropolitan area. During the same period, Seven Eleven saw sales surge by 289.9% in the metropolitan area and 196.9% in non-metropolitan areas.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have an accuracy of over 95%, but it takes 4 to 6 hours to get results. On the other hand, self-diagnostic kits are less accurate but convenient because they can be purchased at nearby pharmacies or convenience stores and provide results in about 15 to 30 minutes. Currently, the self-diagnostic kits sold domestically are two types conditionally approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in April: SD Biosensor’s ‘HANMI COVID-19 Home Test’ and Humasis’s ‘DiaTrust COVID-19 Antigen Home Test.’

On internet communities and elsewhere, reviews of self-diagnostic kits and information on where to buy them are also increasing. Mr. A said, "There was a confirmed case at the daycare my child attends, so I bought one at a pharmacy for the first time," adding, "Even if the accuracy is lower, I will test frequently." Mr. B said, "There are so many COVID-19 confirmed cases that it’s scary. I feel like something bad will happen while waiting in line for a test," and added, "I should buy a few to keep at home."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.