Is Swabbing Your Throat For An At-Home Covid Test A Better Idea?

Does this mean no more swabbing your brain stem?

I had to take my first Covid test almost two years after the pandemic began. It was negative. I've been super careful and luckily work in a field where I can isolate myself pretty effectively. But when I did get it done, I shoved that swab so far up inside my skull, I thought it was going to come out the top of my head.

But yesterday, the Maine CDC had some new directives concerning at-home tests. There've been many reports of people with full-on symptoms coming back negative on their test, only to be tested again later and find out they do indeed have it. So they're suggesting a new approach that may help.

The CDC suggests swabbing your throat might be the way to go.

According to WGME, health officials in the UK have been suggesting throat swabbing since the summer of 2020, with many indications that it's far superior to a nasal swab. However, it's been pointed out that throat swabs, to be done correctly, should be done very carefully. It's easy to do wrong and could possibly injure you if done incorrectly.

Despite the FDA still saying people should only swab the nose, Maine CDC Director, Dr. Nirav Shah said this to WGME:

Individuals have to make the decision that's right for them. There is no clear or right answer here. I'll tell you, if it were me, I'd go with the back of the throat.

It's definitely something to consider as the Omicron variant runs rampant through Maine. Especially if you're doing a home test. Granted, I'm no doctor, and I'm not offering medical advice, but a doctor did just say that's what he'd do. For me, that might just be enough for me to think about it.....