The province is now recommending you swab both your throat and nose when using a rapid test.
Nova Scotia Health made the change after research showed the swabbing both improved test sensitivity by almost 25 per cent, from 64.5 per cent to 88.7 per cent.
The research project was lead by the province’s microbiology lab.
Dr. Todd Hatchette, Chief, Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, says developing research is critical in the province’s response to COVID-19.
“These types of projects are instrumental in testing anecdotal reports of new collection methods that are different from the manufacturers’ approved collection recommendations,” he says. “This data now supports the option of using a combined throat/nasal swab to enhance detection of Omicron.”
Officials are now updating testing protocols to use the two-location swab method.
