Want to know how coronavirus testing looks like? Some social media users have begun to share videos of how it is done and it is somewhat 'uncomfortable' as they described the process.
The coronavirus testing videos
According to USA Today, a swab that looks like a long Q-tip is inserted through the nose of the patients to reach the nasopharyngeal region to collect sample cells. The publication noted that swabbing would only take around 10 seconds or so if the patient remains calm. The whole process would not be painful as well.
A 17-year-old girl, however, posted on a viral TikTok video that the pain felt like she was "being stabbed in the brain." The user that goes by the name Shelby posted the recorded video of herself while she was getting tested. Even the healthcare worker who performed the test apologized and said, "I wish there was a better way to do it."
@shelfboi Got tested lol. Felt like I was being stabbed in the brain ##coronavirus ##smallgestures ##selfcare ##quarantine ##foryoupage ##fyp ##itscoronatime ♬ I'm Yer Dad - GRLwood
Alternative Video:
& She’s Luckily She Had A Small Swab. RT @PanamaRedin215: In case you were wondering what the Corona Virus test its like. #CoronavirusUSA #coronavirustesting pic.twitter.com/0d3fuhauH0 — Viva La BAM. (@BoomPowBAM) April 1, 2020
READ ALSO: New Coronavirus Study Suggests Social Distancing Should Be Four Times Longer Than Current Guidelines
Other videos showing people's experience of getting tested popped up soon after.
Nonetheless, despite the reported discomfort while undergoing the process, COVID-19 testing remains a vital part of stopping the spread of the deadly bug.
Soon after collection, the sample cells are put inside a sterile container. They are then forwarded to the lab where the testing starts through a chemical that could extract the cells from the swab and turn them to liquid form. A machine that tries to match the ribonucleic acid or (RNA) of the person with that of the virus will then observe the liquid to identify infection.
The severity of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
COVID-19 which is said to have started in Wuhan, China, has made its way to the U.S and cases are growing daily.
According to the New York Times, there have already been more than 1000 known cases within the borders of 24 states. The total number of national cases now stands at 188,247 as the death toll risen to 3,900.
The rapid growth of coronavirus cases is blamed partly on limited testing.
