Explained: How Covid Nasal Swab Test Works And Why It Hurts

Covid-19 testing: Healthcare professionals take the sample from nasopharynx in the upper respiratory tract, which hurt a lot.

One of the most widely-accepted ways to identify the presence of coronavirus in a person is through throat and nasal swabs. Both the popular tests currently under wide use - rapid antigen and RT-PCR - see healthcare professionals inserting swab and gently pressing the inside of a person's nostrils to get as much nasal discharge as possible for testing.

But why do some healthcare workers dig deeper?

Our nasal cavity is much larger than our nose, extending into the skull and draining into the back of our throat. 

Inhaled coronavirus particles can attach to different soft tissues in the nasal cavity or throat. The goldmine is nasopharynx, in the upper part of the throat behind the nose, which is tapped by the healthcare professionals to know if a person has indeed contracted the virus.