Reports are emerging that being tested for the new coronavirus can be painful.
The respiratory illness has now killed five Australians with more than 310 confirmed cases of infection in the country.
Of those infected, officials believe 52 of those transmissions occurred within Australia.
To be tested for the virus in Australia, patients must meet a range of criteria.
This includes having returned from overseas within the last 14 days, having been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 within 14 days of developing a respiratory illness (with or without fever), having a severe community-acquired pneumonia with no clear cause or being a healthcare worker exposed to infected patients and having a respiratory illness and fever.
If you don’t meet the criteria, you won’t be tested as there’s a global shortage of virus testing kits, according to the federal Department of Health.
IS THE CORONAVIRUS TEST PAINFUL?
Testing for coronavirus is done using swabs that are stuck into both nostrils and down the throat.
A person who was recently tested told news.com.au the swabs were stuck quite far down the nostrils to the point where the eyes started watering. They described the test as being “uncomfortable”.
However, SA Health told news.com.au the swab test for coronavirus was “not expected to hurt”.
A spokesperson said the testing was done with throat and nostril swabs and it took a few minutes to collect the samples.
“It’s not expected to hurt and the results are provided to the requesting clinician within 24 hours,” the spokesperson said.
While a patient waits for their result they’ll usually be asked to self-isolate, or if their symptoms are more severe they may be kept in hospital.