As uncomfortable as it may sound, you will have to get a nasal swab done.
Maybe you are having COVID-19 symptoms. Or, perhaps you need to get a coronavirus test done to prove you do not have the virus in order to do something like visit a loved one living in a nursing home. Whatever the case may be, you may be wondering what the test will be like.
The first step to getting tested is to locate a test. This can be easier said than done. You will need to contact your healthcare provider or your state’s public health department to see where you should go. In Canada, seek out instructions from your province. It could be the case that finding a test in your area is not easy to do, as COVID-19 test kits are in low supply in some places. If this is the case, in the US you can get a doctor’s order to buy a coronavirus test kit to do yourself. It’s easy to do, and you mail in your results. This could take you longer to get results than doing a test in person, however.
What is the actual test like? Typically, this procedure is not entirely pleasant. Compared to some other health tests out there however, it is a relative breeze.
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When you are tested for the coronavirus, you will be asked to blow your nose to get any secretions out. You will then be asked to tilt your head back slightly, and to close your eyes. And then the fun comes. An ultra-long Q-tip will be placed inside your nose. This is pushed very far back. It goes way, way back until it reaches the back of the cavity between your nose and mouth, and until it can go no further. (For those who like official terms, you may be interested to know this is called getting a “nasopharyngeal swab” done).
The person administering your COVID-19 test will then keep the swab in your nasal cavity for about 15 seconds, and they will rotate it several times. This will ensure they get as good a sample as possible. Unfortunately, testing just one side of your nose will not be sufficient, and so this swab test will then be duplicated in your other nostril, and then your samples will be placed in sealed test tubes and sent for analysis in a lab. (You can watch this video for a full demonstration).
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What if you are testing yourself at home? In this case, you will follow much the same procedures, and wait for your results once you have mailed in your swabs.
In the case of COVID-19 antibody tests, these are done after having the coronavirus. These tests can detect if your immune system has produced the proteins that help you fight off the novel coronavirus infection, and they are done via a quick blood test.
Still curious? For more information about these two assessments, check out The Mayo Clinic’s website.
photo credits: Damir Sencar/Shutterstock.com
