Tuesday, March 17, 2020

What to expect when you get a coronavirus test: Stay calm, don't wiggle and it will take just 10 seconds


Saw someone on Facebook claim the Covid-19 test just consists of swabbing a nostril, when he was claiming Trump didn't get the test. It's more invasive than that.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/16/coronavirus-what-expect-when-you-get-tested-covid-19/5061120002/

Jorge L. Ortiz
USA TODAY
Mar. 16, 2020

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Experts say the process, though invasive and uncomfortable, is quite simple and quick, essentially the same as what’s done to test for the flu.

Patients have a swab – think of it as a long Q-tip – inserted through their nose to reach what's known as the nasopharyngeal region, from where cells are collected.

“If you were to open your mouth and say ‘Ahh’ and look straight back, that’s the region, right where the respiratory (tract) meets the back of your mouth,’’ said Kirsten Hokeness, an immunology expert who teaches at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. “The virus likes to latch on there and start replicating.’’

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