Doing Both Nasal and Tonsil Swabs Around 90% Accurate 有症狀卻快篩陰 醫:鼻喉雙採準確度9成

In response to complaints about rapid test kits not being all that accurate, one doctor says a combination of nasal and throat swabs would boost the accuracy rate to almost 90 percent and help root out unreported cases in the community.

One person in Taiwan that had a sore throat had six rapid tests come back negative before finally testing positive. One doctor says rapid tests have an accuracy rate of 70 percent. Studies in other countries have shown that this rate goes up to 88 percent with both a nasal swab and a tonsil swab.

Lee Chien-chang, Emergency Medicine Doctor, NTU Hospital: “The virus may start in the throat. Studies in Canada showed the diagnosis rate is around 70 percent accurate if you only do a throat swab. So, you still have to do both to get an 80 percent (accuracy rate).”

Lee Chien-chang says Omicron attacks the throat first, which is why many people complain of cut-like pain in their throats. As Omicron generally does not cause a runny nose, Lee says a dual-track approach taking samples from both the nose and throat is needed to root out unreported cases in the community. Taiwan has reported almost 1.79 million cases and 1,203 deaths so far this year. One expert says the death rate should start falling in mid-June.

Hwang Kao-pin, Vice Superintendent of Infection Control, CMUH: “One week from today, the 30th, takes us to around June 5. If our case number can start falling around then, our death rate will start falling 10 days after that.”

In response to concerns about the outbreak spinning out of control in central Taiwan, Hwang Kao-pin said Greater Taipei's high case count is due to its high population density and the situation in central and southern Taiwan should remain stable. However, it is still important for everyone to wash their hands frequently, wear masks, and maintain good hygiene.

新冠本土疫情進入高原期，社區仍有傳播風險，近期有民眾發現，自己出現喉嚨痛等症狀，但是快篩6次都陰性，後來才陽性確診。有醫師表示，只用1劑快篩劑的敏感度只有7成，建議參考國外研究使用2劑快篩，分別採取鼻腔及扁桃腺的檢體，可以有效提升篩檢準確度、達到8成8左右，以爭取及早確診、及早投藥的時機。

台大急診醫學部醫師李建璋指出：「病毒可能是從喉嚨這個地方開始，在加拿大他們也實驗，如果單採喉嚨的話，也是大概只有70%（準確度）左右，所以還是要雙採呢，才能夠維持到80%（準確度）。」

李建璋表示，Omicron最大特色就是先攻擊喉嚨，很多患者喉嚨像刀割般痛苦，但主訴流鼻涕的人不多，快篩若只從鼻子採檢，很可能沒有採檢到病毒量最高的喉嚨，因此建議推廣「鼻喉雙採」以降低社區黑數。累計今年以來，國內確診人數已達178萬8千多人，有1203人重症死亡，有專家推估，這波死亡浪潮應該會在6月中旬左右開始下降。

中醫大附醫感染管制中心副院長黃高彬估計：「今天30號再加一個禮拜，差不多是6/5左右，6/5左右假如說我們病例數可以開始下降的時候，10天以後我們的死亡率就會下降。」

至於副總統賴清德日前到台中視察快篩陽得來速時表示，憂心中部將面臨像北部一樣的疫情洪峰。不過黃高彬認為，台灣是一日生活圈，雙北因為人口密集度高，染疫人數也較多，中南部疫情頂多就是這樣了，若要升溫不會拖這麼久，建議民眾勤洗手、戴口罩，保持衛生習慣，不必太過擔憂。