Lots of sore throat. Its one thing to say maybe the throat helps and add it, its quite another to decide that three Twitter anecdotes mean ignoring that we know the nose is a good specimen type.. The warning came as some people started swabbing their throats with their at-home kits after having read about other countries where throat swabs are more common, and about extrapolating from some studies suggesting saliva samples tested using PCR can provide as reliable, or even more accurate results, than deep nasal samples used for PCR. While momentarily uncomfortable for most, it was "excruciating" for Pauw, who already had swollen nasal passages and had to drive 45 minutes to Tacoma, Washington, to get one. Genomic or molecular detection confirms the presence of viral DNA. Common symptoms of a sore throat include a fever, cough, runny nose, hoarseness, earaches, sneezing, and body aches. "A throat swab may yield a false-positive result, since these rapid antigen tests are influenced by the pH (acidity level) in the sample, and your throat pH can be influenced by food and beverages," he explains. Photo: Valerie Macon/Getty Images M illions of Americans have received Covid-19 tests since March and countless more will likely experience the long wait at a testing site. Heres what we know so far about the different ways to swab for COVID-19 rapid tests and how effective they are. as well as other partner offers and accept our. While nasal sampling is safe, some doctors have clinically observed that after a swab test, there could be the possibility of severe complications such as a cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leak in rare cases. slippery elm leaves, But federal agencies and health experts urge that at-home tests be used . See additional information. Christina Wojewoda, MD, chair, College of American Pathologists Microbiology Committee; director, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, University of Vermont Medical Center. Certain lingering respiratory symptoms are signs that a patient recovering from COVID-19 still may test positive for SARS-CoV-2, a new study suggests. The results, the authors say, may mean we need to rethink the typical diagnostic testing done for suspected cases of COVID-19. raw garlic, Throat Coat tea, Risk factors such as advanced age, diabetes, and high blood pressure increase the likelihood of having ARDS with COVID-19. On the other hand, inexperienced clinicians may not insert the swab far enough, in which case it may be more comfortable but less effective. bacterial infections, viral infections, toxins, irritants, Although a few anecdotal reports encourage swabbing your throat, more research is needed to determine whether it does actually improve the accuracy of your test. Tonsils are glands at the back of the throat that make antibodies that help fight infection. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have had close contact with an infected person, you should get tested. Blaivas recommended consulting a regularly updated FDA website that lists antigen tests that fail to recognize the Omicron variant reliably. 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. Specifically, the "seal dive" or "diving" reflex, which all mammals experience when submerging their faces submerge in icy water. Testing for COVID-19 requires obtaining a sample of secretions along the full path of your nasal cavity, from the nostril to where your nasal cavity meets the back of the throat. A recent real-world study that followed 30 subjects likely exposed to omicron found that PCR saliva tests can catch Covid-19 cases three days before rapid antigen tests, which use nasal swabs . You may feel a bit of discomfort for five seconds, but then again, your viral symptoms may have you feeling so miserable that a little nasal cavity tickling wont matter much. A sore throat is irritation and scratchiness in the throat accompanied by pain that often worsens with swallowing. Here are three recommendations from some of the country's leading microbiologists and infectious disease experts: While the PCR is the gold standard for testing, if you can't get one, two rapid antigen tests spaced 48 hours apart are an acceptable alternative, says Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., Medical Director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Meanwhile, some experts say the extra swab could increase chances that . Take this quiz to find out! Verywell Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. But they're less helpful in determining whether you're still contagious. However, many say that at-home rapid tests are not detecting the Omicron variant well enough, leading to false-negative test results. Based on reports from 17,500 people who tested positive for COVID last week, the most common symptom now is having a sore throat, followed by a headache and nasal congestion, according to a BBC report . On social media, anecdotal reports of individuals testing negative with a nasal swabbut positive with a combined throat and nasal swabare garnering a lot of attention. While previous versions of the virus focused relatively quickly on the lungsburrowing into tissues there, replicating and potentially causing serious and life-threatening breathing problemsstudies show that Omicron prefers the nose and throat. It is not recommended practice, Campbell said. The Adamson study also confirms a widespread belief that "rapid antigen tests are often not sensitive enough to diagnose an infection when it is early or symptoms are mild and little virus is shed," Blaivas said. It's really hard to say why this might be true, and considerable reason to question whether it is, Sheldon Campbell, MD, laboratory medicine physician at Yale Medicine and professor at the Yale School of Medicine, told Verywell. Apr 30, 2020, 7:52 AM. COVID-19 has the potential to result in health complications and even death in susceptible individuals. "My clinical experience in the emergency department regularly showed, early in the pandemic, that antigen tests were not reliable for our clinical use," Blaivas said. "You could potentially submit an oral swab, throat swab for the test. A new RT-PCR test was administered at the time of admission. Adding saliva to the mix could contaminate your . Fever is a symptom of COVID-19, although not everyone presents with fever. But for most,the procedure causes "a five- to eight-second shock of unpleasantness," Dr. Shawn Nasseri, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Los Angeles, told Business Insider. If you plan on swabbing your throat anyway, make sure you're at least swabbing your nose as well. Skip to topic navigation. They used a Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, which required nose swabs only. Along the pathway, the swab can irritate sinus tissue or activate several nerves. Siemens, which received the most recent authorization for its over-the-counter rapid test, declined to comment on the throat vs. nasal swab issue. Pneumonia: Pneumonia causes the lungs to swell and fill with fluid. Can You Still Use a COVID-19 At-Home Test If Its Expired? sore throat; headache . The first challenge with rapid at-home self tests for COVID-19 is getting one. MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Verywell asked experts to weigh in. Close more info about Recovered COVID patients with sore throat, nasal symptoms still may test positive, McKnights Women of Distinction Awards and Forum, Providers pepper CMS with schizophrenia questions; agency cautions on MDS changes, Nursing home beds fell pre-pandemic, even as aged population exploded: researchers, Reach of AI, other tech will help SNFs reach seniors looking to avoid nursing homes: expert. The reflex shunts blood away from the skin and toward the inner organs, and causes a decrease in heart and breathing rate in order to conserve energy and oxygen for the heart and brain. "A doctor can also perform a laryngoscopy, in which a small camera is inserted through the nose or mouth to look for polyps, tumours, or other signs of inflamed growths inside your larynx and hypopharynx", Dr Mehdizadeh explained. Two recent preprint studies support the saliva swabbing strategy. All rights reserved. Because the kidneys contain angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, they are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. Robert Wachter, MD, shared a story on Twitter about how his symptomatic son tested negative at first using a rapid nasal swab test. Takeaway. "If both tests are negative and symptoms persist or get worse, seek out PCR testing for both Covid-19 and influenza," he says. With his permission, Ill describe his experience & how I approached his situation, given the realities of life and the rapidly changing evidence," he tweeted on Jan. 8. A 25-year-old civil servant who caught Covid-19 last December, after . By now, everyone knows about COVID-19. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The University of Oxford's Center for Evidence-Based Medicine warns that "the only current COVID-19 specific data comparing [throat swabs] with [nasal swabs] comes from two low quality, non-peer . Sore throat was a symptom for 11 of the 12 people The Straits Times spoke to. Available test kits allow people to collect saliva at home, but they must send the sample to a lab. What Should You Do If You Feel Sick but Keep Testing Negative for COVID? (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images), Ukraine Wars Toll Of Death, Destruction, Displacement, And Trauma: Fresh Evidence Of Systematic Planning Of Torture Leaves Behind An Indelible Mark, Walmart To Double Health Clinic Footprint As Amazon And Rivals Buy Doctor Offices, Covid-19s Enormous Death Toll: Worldwide Life Expectancy Has Experienced A Steep Decline, Questions Scientists Should Now Explore With Respect To Covid-19, Sustainable Development A Smart Solution for Africa and the Middle East, By Capping Out-Of-Pocket Price, Eli Lilly Could Transform Insulin Market, The Amazon-One Medical, CVS-Oak Street Mashup: A Cautionary Note On Retails Incursion Into Healthcare Delivery. Saliva swabs use a sample of saliva to test for the COVID-19 virus. Much is still unknown about the virus, so it is best to follow recommended medical protocols, including vaccination and testing. And there was talk about people using a throat swab for both RT and PCR for better accuracy. According to the NHS, the classic Covid symptoms are fever, cough and loss of smell or taste. If you have respiratory symptoms, then chances are it's a viral infection like COVID-19. If you are about to use an at-home rapid test kit, follow the instructions indicated on the package. Americans can now order free rapid Covid tests, How this 39-year-old earns $26,000 a year in California. To obtain these secretions, a medical professional uses a thin, flexible six-inch swab, similar to a regular cotton swab (but a lot longer). Just keep in mind that this is definitely an "off-label" use that's not consistent with current FDA guidance, Brooke says. Both the PCR test and antigen test can be used to determine whether you have been infected with the COVID-19 virus. Investigators monitored 131 hospitalized patients admitted to post-acute care following a bout with COVID-10. Some evidence shows omicron appears in your throat first. Its very low risk experimentation, she says, as long as people watch online videos that can help. The actual fainting episode is medically known as "vasovagal syncope," and may be preceded by pale skin, lightheadedness, tunnel vision, nausea, clammy sweat, or other symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. Its definitely plausible.. The test technically known as a RT-PCR test, which detects whether the virus is currently in your body involves a healthcare provider pushing a thin, plastic nasal swab three to four inches along the floor of the nose through the nostril. With a tip of the hat, nursing homes most high-profile defender heads into the sunset, Battle over Alzheimers drug coverage is hardly a no-brainer, Service dogs sniff out COVID-19 in nursing homes, Psychotropic stewardship can be the cure to stepped-up audits. Even though their cardiac function appeared to be retained, high levels of the blood enzyme troponin (an indication of heart injury) were identified in 76% of patients. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Your nose? Testing for COVID-19 requires obtaining a sample of secretions along the full path of your nasal cavity, from the nostril to where your nasal cavity meets the back of the throat. Terms of Use. Runny nose. According to the FDA, COVID-19 diagnostic tests should be used as authorized. Isolate yourself while waiting for test results. So by doing just a nose swab, people were getting false negatives. Nasal swab RT-PCR testing is most commonly used for diagnosing the air-borne disease, all thanks to its excellent specificity and sensitivity in detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus within 48 hours. The goal of the coronavirus test is to extract sputum the material that gets ejected through coughing, sneezing, spitting, and singing in order to test it for some of the coronavirus's genes, Business Insider's Hilary Brueck and Samantha Lee previously reported and illustrated. A minimum swabbing duration of 30 seconds was required. A positive rapid test likely indicates that the person does have COVID-19, but the result should be confirmed with a PCR test. The same is true for pharyngitis. This is usually done by swabbing areas of the mouth like the cheeks. Right now, dont go out and be with people if youre symptomatic. About 5% become critically ill and require immediate medical attention. Cheek? Knowing what time of day to take your vitamin and mineral supplements can help you maximize their effectiveness and avoid dangerous interactions. But, he says, some tests will fail to perform if faced with a sample from either the nose or throat, if not geared for and tested on it.". Experts say despite reports of using throat swabs for testing, it is important to follow the directions on the test to avoid faulty results. If the nasal swabs are pretty equivalent in terms of sensitivity to PCR in picking up the virus, then they should be a reliable way to test for COVID-19. Do not consider WebMD Blogs as medical advice. Blocked nose. Even after taking the necessary precautions, COVID-19 can cause significant mental and physical consequences. One small pre-print study compared the accuracy of saliva and nasal sampling on 382 people with symptoms of COVID-19 who also had PCR tests done. If I were testing myself or a family member, Id do a good, thorough nose swab, only, Campbell said. Oral samples can include saliva (spit into a tube), saliva from a tongue or cheek swab, or a throat swab (tonsil area). Getty. On immigration, are these two unicorns or realists? With many patients reporting sore throats in omicron COVID cases, a debate over whether or not to add throat swabs to testing methods has sparked, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has . If you do it, you should collect nasal swabs as well. Seven of them were women, and one was male. This is very different from saliva antigen tests," Blaivas said. Rapid Test for COVID-19: Pros and Cons, How to Take At-home COVID Tests the Right Way. A spokesperson from Abbott, which makes the popular BinaxNOW kits, says the test, using a nasal swab, is 95.6% sensitive in detecting virus in people within seven days of having symptoms, when they are the most infectious. ", "So I think this really limits the use of antigen tests to 'Oh, wow, I feel crummy today. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. A throat swab done by a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional in general will always be more accurate than one done by someone less familiar with proper technique, he said. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Mutations: Impact on COVID-19 Tests. Copyright 2023 Haymarket Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization. Use the same swab and test. Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, look for signs and symptoms of strep throat, and probably order one or more of the following tests: Rapid antigen test. One survivor in the group, though, said "it wasn't that bad." After a search for more tests, sampling both his throat and nose . Havilrs study also included results from using cheek swabs, and these underperformed, she says, compared to the nose samples. A health worker takes a nasal swab sample at a Covid-19 testing site at St. John's Well Child and Family Center on July 24, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Because many clinicians performing the tests aren't experts in nasal anatomy, their technique may make a difference in how uncomfortable it is for a patient, too. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. My symptoms did not arrive until 18 . Sampling should always be performed bearing in mind the anatomical structures of the nasal cavity and its surroundings to ensure safe sampling and correct results. About PhillyVoice.com; About aHealthierPhilly; Contact Us; Legal / Privacy; Staff / Contributors; RSS; The contents of this website, such as text, graphics, images . Although fairly rare, some people may develop a nosebleed after undergoing a nasal swab to test for COVID-19. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Its still an open question about whether throat swabs, especially in the context of Omicrons dominance, should replace nasal swabs in at-home tests. I dont use complementary treatments to manage my migraine illness. The hashtag #SwabYourThroat became popular on Twitter while some shared their experiences on TikTok, encouraging more people to give throat swabs a try. By mild I mean mostly sore throat. How to do a coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow test, SARS-CoV-2 Viral Mutations: Impact on COVID-19 Tests, HKUMed finds Omicron SARS-CoV-2 can infect faster and better than Delta in human bronchus but with less severe infection in lung. Twitter: @US_FDA, Jan. 7, 2022; @Bob_Wachter, Jan. 8, 2022. I have to emphasize that nobodys actually done a scientific study of nose versus throat [swabs]. So if you have symptoms of COVID-19, getting tested can protect others and help health officials keep an eye on the virus. Many used the word "intense" to describe it. Dont waste terribly scarce tests on this nonsense.. Runny . through the mouth). COVID-19 oftens comes with these respiratory symptoms: (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images). But they are less sensitive than the COVID-19 nasal swab test. But the FDA has not authorized any at-home self tests with throat swabs and has warned of the potential dangers of sticking a swab near the throat. The US Food and Drug Administration is cautioning against using self-collected throat swabs for Covid-19 tests and says people should use the tests as instructed. While the patients who experienced broken swabs fared well, the patients with epistaxis (nasal bleeds) had rockier recuperations, the researchers wrote. If you have tested negative for strep throat, you may be experiencing a different bacterial infection or a viral infection. This test can detect strep bacteria in minutes by looking for substances (antigens) in the . By. 1. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) reported the results of a study comparing nasal swabs done using at-home test kits against the gold-standard PCR tests that require deeper nasopharyngeal swabs performed by health professionals. Throat and nose test kits have been in use in the United Kingdom, but the rapid antigen test kits authorized in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not call for throat swabs. They also got the number of Covid-19 tests performed in the hospital (1.6 million) during the same . Going to a Super Bowl Party? Now Is the Time to Start COVID Testing, What to Do If You Get a Positive At-Home COVID-19 Test Result. What about your saliva? Rohini Radhakrishnan, ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. . Dupin is one of many everyday social media users who've publicly shared theiradmittedly anecdotalpositive COVID-19 detections via throat swab, after a nasal negative. But recent coverage of the fact that Omicron tends to cause sore throats, and a small study finding that test samples collected in the throat might detect the presence of the virus earlier than samples collected in the nose, have led to growing online questions about whether people should swab their throat instead of their nose when using a rapid self-test. (In at least one case study, though, fainting or feeling lightheaded can actually be a symptom of the virus, not a reaction to the test.). But, how do you know if you need to call a doctor? A study Brooke co-authored, published last June in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, found that both PCR and antigen tests can pick up 98% of all Covid cases if they're done at least every three days. In addition, the at-home rapid tests only received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA as nasal swabs, points out Binnicker. And for tell-tale coronavirus symptoms, find out The Earliest Signs You Have COVID, According to Johns Hopkins. In a recent study, researchers detected cardiac anomalies in 78% of patients with COVID-19, as well as ongoing myocardial inflammation in 60%. An ear, nose, and throat specialist told Business Insider the reaction is related to a "primitive" response intended to protect you from running out of energy and oxygen when diving into icy water. Still, it can be dangerous if you injure yourself or someone else (like if it happens behind the wheel) while passing out. Some healthcare providers noticed that sore throat was a common symptom early in the omicron COVID-19 wave, says Scott Weisenberg, MD, an . The immunoglobulin or serology tests can tell whether or not you have been exposed to coronavirus, but not whether you are currently infected. "This definitely makes it more unpleasant for the patient. In contrast, for coronavirus patients without symptoms, it looked like antigen tests "performed pretty poorly," Wojewoda says. Most of the time, though, a test after 3 to 5 days of symptoms gets a reliable result. Sudden fever. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder. The virus triggers an immune response that may be aggressive and result in a cytokine storm that destroys kidney cells. "We accidentally admitted multiple patients to non-COVID wards when they were actually COVID-positive because the hospital ran out of in-house PCR tests during a repeat wave of infections.". Long COVID-19 syndrome (symptoms that continue long after the infection is resolved). The Best Way to Swab for At-Home COVID-19 Tests. They were between the ages of 14 years old to 78 years old. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. "The swabbing order is [also] because it seems grosser to swab your nose before your throat," he adds. The most common COVID-19 test is nasopharyngeal a swab in a nostril toward the back of the throat. "When we grimace or make a face, it actually tightens the nostrils and tends to force swabs up into the nose instead of along the floor of the nose," he said. Sore throats are caused by viral (common cold, flu, mumps), bacterial (tonsillitis, some STDs), toxins, allergens, trauma or injury, or "mechanical causes" (breathing The results were compared for the two different testing methods. The rapid antigen tests that most people . By Carla Delgado The best way to determine whether a sore throat is a symptom of COVID-19 is to take a test. OTC remedies for a sore throat include OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. But the fact that its quick doesnt mean its not uncomfortable. Some experts support swabbing both the throat and nose, "and there is literature support for this being more accurate than just throat swabs alone," Blaivas said. Most tests provide detailed instructions, including the number of swabs, the method of swabbing (some ask you to spin the swab) and where to take the sample (mouth, nostril, throat). Anecdotal reports claim that swabbing both the throat and the nose improves the accuracy of at-home rapid at-home COVID-19 tests. A positive antigen test result is considered accurate when instructions are carefully followed. Anuradha writes about environmental health disparities & epidemiology, test at a local clinic in Gaza city, on April 29, 2021, - Health authorities in Gaza said the situation concerning the coronavirus pandemic was aggravated following the emergence last month of the more contagious British variant, which fuelled a surge in cases among younger Palestinians. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Nose or Throat? After a search for more tests, sampling both his throat and nose yielded a positive result. "A person suffering sore throat due to COVID may feel worse on the first day of infection but gets better each following day," a study explained. Cough no phlegm - 40%. A nasal swab for a COVID-19 test can be difficult for anyone, especially kids. They're much more sensitive, too making them the best tests to use to determine infection, says Dr. Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases doctor and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. I would gag and spit.". Technicians then use specific procedures to detect the virus and cancel out the other components in saliva that can confound the results. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately. File photo of a health worker preparing to take a COVID-19 nasal swab test sample in Singapore, Jun 10, 2020. Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Smoking Pot Every Day Linked to Heart Risks, Artificial Sweetener Linked to Heart Risks, FDA Authorizes First At-Home Test for COVID and Flu, New Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk, MINOCA: The Heart Attack You Didnt See Coming, Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox. Several others said they cried. Other names: anterior nares test, nasal mid-turbinate swab, NMT . Saliva sampling and throat swabbing are not necessarily the same thing, says Christina Wojewoda, MD, chair of the College of American Pathologists Microbiology Committee. Rarely, a bacterial infection can cause a sore throat. Find out what the differences are and learn some tips for telling them apart. What Can" Proteinuria or an excess of protein in the urine and abnormal blood components are both indicators of kidney impairment. Participants were initially instructed to cough 3-5 times, covering their mouths with the inner elbow. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Swabbing the throat and nose for a rapid self-test could potentially increase test sensitivity, Preeti Pancholi, PhD, director of clinical microbiology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, told Verywell. A The clinician quickly inserts the swab into the nasal cavity and pushes it all the way to the back of the throat before twirling it and removing it. Fatigue. Incredible fatigue. Read our. "It was a sharp, burning pain that made . Key Takeaways. An ear, nose, and throat specialist told Business Insider the . Learn about other COVID-19 symptoms and what to do if you are infected. And, when President Trump told reporters in mid-March that there is "nothing pleasant" about it, model Chrissy Teigen quickly shot back, tweeting that there are a lot more painful things in life, namely childbirth. It's seldom easy to tell the difference between bacterial and viral sore throats. You may have noticed that more and more people are testing positive for COVID-19 after using a rapid test to swab their throats. Chills. Complications include: Older individuals and those with the following conditions are at higher risk of COVID-19 complications: COVID-19 can cause lung problems such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe cases. Yet some experts, including throat specialists, agree with the FDA about the potential dangers and note that people can harm themselves if they dont swab properly, while others feel the risk isnt large enough to discourage people from trying it (after watching videos or getting some guidance. BD, another test kit maker, also declined to comment except to say that its test is not authorized for use with a throat swab or a saliva sample.. Should You Swab Your Throat When Taking an At-home Rapid COVID Test? However, many U.S. authorized at-home tests haven't been studied using throat swabs. The entire process takes mere seconds to complete. If you had COVID-19 symptoms but never got tested, or if you have long-term symptoms that just won't go away, you may want to get an antibody test. Published Jan. 8, 2022 6:12 a.m. PST. Even after recovery from the infection, damage to the lungs can cause breathing problems that last for months, resulting in additional complications. However, many U.S. authorized at-home tests haven't been studied using throat swabs. Tests used for detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) may use two methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19 disease, adebilitating and potentially deadly viral pneumonia. Headache - 49%. In December 2021, I was fully vaxxed and boosted against Covid and ready to fully enjoy the holidays for the first time since before the pandemic when I suddenly began feeling ill. Sore throat.