The self-test have entered our lives for good during the pandemic, which is why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ringing the bell about how they should be done, especially after the appearance of the Omicron mutation.
In particular, following the relevant instructions, the long swab (pen), contained in the packages of fast antigen tests, should be used only on the nose and not on the neck, as some do lately.
The announcement was made via Twitter, as reported by APE-MPE, as reports are growing that more and more people are taking a sample from their throat, although most tests are intended for nasal sampling.
The trend started after the publication of initial indications from studies that the mutation Ομικρον may not be detected by self-test, especially in the early stages of the infection and that the result is probably more reliable if the sample is taken orally and through saliva than from the nasal cavity.
As the FDA representative on CNN underlined “the tests Covid-19 "They should be used according to their instructions. Concerns have been raised that a person may accidentally injure himself if he takes a sample from his throat and advised that a throat sample be taken by a specialist."
Follow the instructions on the self test package
For her part, Dr. Emily Volk, president of the American College of Physicians, noted that "the best thing to do is to follow the instructions on the test package regarding sampling, otherwise the results may not be are what is expected ".
"If you think you're more likely to detect coronavirus in the throat, you do not know it," said Dr. Graham Snyder, an infection prevention specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to UPI. The test is not going to "work" better if you use it in a different way than its instructions say. We also know from a lot of data during the pandemic that taking a sample from the nose is quite effective, so I do not think one should submit oneself to taking a sample from the throat.
However, in some countries, throat-based tests are more common than in others.
via: Enimerotiko