According to new research, people who use rapid antigen tests to detect COVID-19 should swab their nostrils as directed by the manufacturer, rather than swabbing their throat or cheek.
Earlier this month, with Omicron accounting for nearly all coronavirus infections in San Francisco, the researchers conducted PCR and the Abbott Laboratories’ BinaxNOW rapid antigen test on 731 individuals requesting COVID-19 tests.
Dr. Diane Havlir of the University of California, San Francisco reported that nasal swabbing “detected over 95% of persons with the highest virus levels who are most likely contagious.”
Her team compared BinaxNOW results with swab samples from the nose and throat obtained by qualified specialists in 115 individuals with positive PCR tests.
They reported on medRxiv ahead of peer review that throat swabs detected nearly 40% fewer cases than nose swabs.
A separate study from Spain, also published on medRxiv, found that swabbing the inside of the cheek is far less reliable for detecting infectious virus than nostril swabbing.
Recent studies have revealed that Omicron is detected earlier in the throat than in the nose, prompting some experts to encourage users to swab the throat, despite the fact that the US Food and Drug Administration maintains that the tests should be used exactly as directed.
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