Insert the soft tip of the swab between the inside of the cheeks and the lower part of the gums and turn the swab a few times. Then, rub the soft tip of the swab on your tongue until you feel comfortable in your throat. Some pharmacies offer access to COVID-19 testing, but most offer nasal swab testing instead of oral swabs. These tests are as fast as tests with a mouth swab.
While they can be a little uncomfortable, they're not painful. CVS MinuteClinic has a tool for finding a participating center in your area. Rite Aid and Walgreens offer similar services. Quest Diagnostics also offers testing at select Walmart locations.
As businesses are looking for ways to safely reopen, the Mount Sinai Health System today announced the launch of the Mount Sinai COVID-19 PCR saliva testing program to provide rapid, non-invasive and accurate testing to support the safety of businesses and leisure activities in New York. The Program provides the public with an easy, effective and accurate COVID-19 test. Mount Sinai is an official partner of New York State's Excelsior Pass program, a new effort to accelerate the opening of theaters, stadiums and other businesses. A saliva test requires you to spit into a tube, while a mouthswab test involves rubbing the inside of your mouth with a cotton swab to get the sample.
Nasal swabs follow the same protocol as oral swabs, except that you or a health professional takes a swab sample from your nose instead of your mouth.
