We collect cookies to analyze our website traffic and performance; we never collect any personal data.Cookies Policy
Accept
Michigan Post
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Michigan
  • World
  • Politics
  • Top Story
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economics
    • Real Estate
    • Startups
    • Autos
    • Crypto & Web 3
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Beauty
    • Art & Books
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Education
Reading: For Coronavirus Testing, the Nose May Not Always Be Best
Share
Font ResizerAa
Michigan PostMichigan Post
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Michigan
  • World
  • Politics
  • Top Story
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economics
    • Real Estate
    • Startups
    • Autos
    • Crypto & Web 3
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Beauty
    • Art & Books
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Education
© 2024 | The Michigan Post | All Rights Reserved.
Michigan Post > Blog > Tech / Science > For Coronavirus Testing, the Nose May Not Always Be Best
Tech / Science

For Coronavirus Testing, the Nose May Not Always Be Best

By Editorial Board Published January 14, 2022 3 Min Read
Share
For Coronavirus Testing, the Nose May Not Always Be Best
14virus saliva1 facebookJumbo

The complications

Saliva also has trade-offs. While the virus appears to build up in saliva early, the nose may be a better place to detect it later in the course of infection.

Contents
The complicationsThe Coronavirus Pandemic: Key Things to Know

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that while the virus often spiked first in saliva, it ultimately rose to higher levels in the nose. Their results suggest that highly sensitive tests, like P.C.R. tests, may be able to pick up infections in saliva days earlier than they do in nasal swabs, but that less-sensitive tests, like antigen tests, might not.

The Coronavirus Pandemic: Key Things to Know


Card 1 of 4

The data on saliva are still mixed, some experts noted.

“There are these few studies that I have found really very interesting,” said Dr. Mary K. Hayden, an infectious disease doctor and clinical microbiologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

But Dr. Hayden said she was interpreting the new studies cautiously because “for years and years and years,” research has suggested that nasopharyngeal specimens are best for detecting respiratory viruses.

Some scientists also have practical concerns. The mouth is “a little more of an uncontrolled environment compared to the nasal passages,” said Joseph DeRisi, a biochemist at the University of California, San Francisco, who is a president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and an author of the cheek swab paper. “Did you drink a Coke right before you took the test? The pH will be different. And those things matter.”

Saliva can be “viscous and difficult to work with,” especially when patients are sick and dehydrated, Dr. Marie-Louise Landry, director of the clinical virology laboratory at Yale New Haven Hospital, said in an email.

Ultimately, different approaches may be required in different circumstances. For people who have had symptoms for several days, nasal swabs might be a good choice, while saliva might be best suited for the large-scale surveillance screening of asymptomatic people, Dr. Hansen suggested. “We need to get the right test into the right places,” he said.

TAGGED:Biology and BiochemistryCoronavirus (2019-nCoV)Coronavirus Delta VariantCoronavirus Omicron VariantGreat BritainNoseTests (Medical)The Washington MailThroatUnited Statesyour-feed-healthyour-feed-science
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link Print

HOT NEWS

Backlash as Air India crash report factors to attainable human error – here is what consultants suppose

Backlash as Air India crash report factors to attainable human error – here is what consultants suppose

World
July 12, 2025
‘Shameful’ that black boys in London extra more likely to die than white boys, says Met Police chief

‘Shameful’ that black boys in London extra more likely to die than white boys, says Met Police chief

The commissioner instructed Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that relations with minority communities "is difficult…

July 12, 2025
Dozens of MPs name for UK authorities to recognise Palestine as state

Dozens of MPs name for UK authorities to recognise Palestine as state

Almost 60 Labour MPs have known as on David Lammy and the Overseas Workplace to…

July 12, 2025
Michael Frison: Mom of British man lacking in Sardinia describes ‘unending nightmare’

Michael Frison: Mom of British man lacking in Sardinia describes ‘unending nightmare’

The mom of a British man who has gone lacking on Sardinia says she resides…

July 12, 2025
Donald Trump proclaims 30% tariff on imports from EU

Donald Trump proclaims 30% tariff on imports from EU

Donald Trump has introduced he'll impose a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union…

July 12, 2025

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Thriller discovery in area is probably the ‘oldest comet ever seen’, say researchers

A thriller interstellar object found by British astronomers is probably the oldest comet ever seen.The "water ice-rich" customer, which has…

Tech / Science
July 11, 2025

TV physician and IVF pioneer quits British Medical Affiliation over ‘damaging’ deliberate strikes

One of many UK's best-known medical doctors says he has resigned from the British Medical Affiliation (BMA) as a result…

Tech / Science
July 11, 2025

Warmth deaths in England and Wales might surge 50-fold by 2070s, research warns

Warmth-related deaths in England and Wales might rise 50-fold by the 2070s as local weather change collides with an ageing…

Tech / Science
July 10, 2025

South West Water agrees to pay £24m for wastewater failures

South West Water has agreed to pay a £24m penalty for wastewater spillages, the water regulator mentioned. The corporate, serving…

Tech / Science
July 10, 2025

Welcome to Michigan Post, an esteemed publication of the Enspirers News Group. As a beacon of excellence in journalism, Michigan Post is committed to delivering unfiltered and comprehensive news coverage on World News, Politics, Business, Tech, and beyond.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact Us

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 | The Michigan Post | All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?