New self-swab COVID-19 test is just as accurate, study finds

EVERETT, WA — A coronavirus test that lets patients swab the front part of their nostril and mid-nose is just as accurate as those given by medical professionals, according to a study led by an infectious disease expert at The Everett Clinic.

The self-swab test was given to nearly 500 symptomatic patients across Washington, including some at multiple Everett Clinic locations. Results were accurate for more than 90% of patients who tested positive for the virus, according to the study coordinated by the University of Washington and UnitedHealth Group.

The study is under peer review for a medical journal, with publication expected soon. Once officially released, the findings will give health departments, hospitals and clinics a game plan for distributing self-sample kits, said Dr. Gerard Cangelosi, a UW professor and co-author of the study.

The results were consistent with current testing methods, such as drive-thrus where health care workers must use personal protective equipment and collect samples from deep inside a patient’s nasal cavity. New approval from the federal government could fast-track the method into mobile testing sites across the country.

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