New research shows that the typical COVID-19 nasal antigen swab may not be enough to pick up on the Omicron variant in its early stages.
The research shows there is a chance the virus isn't growing in the nose when you first do the test and doing both throat and nasal swabs is more effective.
As heard on AM800's the Morning Drive, Chief Nursing Executive and Chief Operating Officer for Windsor Regional Hospital, Karen Riddell says you should stay cautious even if your antigen test is negative.
"If you have symptoms don't use a negative antigen test as a go ahead. Anytime you have symptoms and even if you have a negative antigen test, especially if you've had a potential exposure, you should get a confirmatory PCR test done at one of the assessment centres."
Riddell says there are other options for those who can't tolerate the nasal swab.
"For people that are not able to tolerate a nasopharyngeal, so a typical COVID swab where many of us had now, where we're tickling your brain, you can in fact get throat-nasal swab. So sometimes we'll use those on children who can't tolerate a typical swab."
Riddell says the PCR tests are the gold standard for testing.
"So either your typical symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell for the Delta variant or for Omicron a runny nose, sore throat and head ache are your typical signs or symptoms book a PCR test or an antigen test."
If you think you have COVID-19 she suggests doing the throat swab first and use the same swab to swab your nose as normal. She also says not to drink, eat or brush your teeth for 30 minutes before the swab for better results.