COVID-19 nasal swab test may not be best for those who’ve had sinus surgery

People who have had major sinus surgery should consult their ENT doctor before undergoing COVID-19 swab testing, new research indicates.

Likewise, those performing swab testing should ask whether the patient has had extensive sinus or skull base surgery, said Philip G. Chen, MD, study senior author from UT Health San Antonio.

“If so, other modes of testing such as at the back of the throat should be performed,” said Dr. Chen, associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.

JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery published the study March 4.

Read the full news release.



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