Investigating the Sensitivity of Nasal or Throat Swabs: Combination of Both Swabs Increases the Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Tests

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00217-22
• Publication Date: 2022-06-28T13:00:47Z
• Authors: Barbara L. Goodall; Jason J. LeBlanc; Todd F. Hatchette; Lisa Barrett; Glenn Patriquin
• Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; nasal; COVID-19; Microbiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; QR1-502; 3. Good health; rapid; antigen; throat; Humans; Pharynx; Pandemics; Research Article

This quality project demonstrates that combining the results of nasal and throat swabs or using a combined single swab of the throat and nares resulted in increased detection of SARS-CoV-2 using a rapid antigen test, in an asymptomatic population. Importantly, no false positives were detected, and over 90% of people were willing to perform the combination swab.