Get Covid Test Nose Diagram Background. The virus is more concentrated in the nose and throat early in the course of the infection. Getting tested for covid is also not a surefire way to know one way or the other if you have the coronavirus.
Saliva (spit) or swabs that take samples from the back of the nose, mouth, or throat are used for these tests. You or a health care professional use a specialized swab to collect mucus from your nose or throat. Information on coronavirus testing options and availability is changing rapidly.
But after more than five days of symptoms, the virus tends.
Called a nasopharyngeal swab or culture, it allows doctors to collect a sample of secretions from the uppermost part of the throat, behind the nose. Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing. The two main branches detect either the presence of the virus or of antibodies produced in response. A viral test tells you if you have a current infection by looking for parts of the virus itself.