The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that the long swab contained in rapid coronavirus test packs should only be used on the nose, according to the instructions, and not on the throat. , as some people do lately.
The announcement was made via Twitter, following reports that more and more people taking self tests are taking a sample from their throat, even though most tests are intended for nasal sampling. The trend began after the publication of initial evidence from studies that the Omicron variant may not be detected by rapid tests, 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 nasal cavity.
A FDA spokesman told CNN that the tests Covid-19 should be used according to their instructions. He stressed that there are concerns that a person may accidentally cause harm to himself if he takes a sample from his throat and advised that taking samples from the neck should be done by a specialist.
Dr. Emily Volk, president of the American College of Physicians, said that the best thing to do is to follow the instructions on the test package regarding sampling, otherwise the results may not be as expected.
"If you think you're more likely to detect coronavirus in your throat, you do not know it. 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 to taking a sample from the throat," said Dr. Graham Snyder, a prevention specialist. of infections at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to the UPI agency.
In some countries, tests based on a throat sample are more common than in others.
Source: ΑΠΕ- ΜΠΕ