TESTING for COVID-19 needs to "adapt" to the new variant, an expert has warned as the Omicron variant is "very different" to others.

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.

They found that the at-home self-swabs of the front part of the nose performed almost as well as the PCR tests.

Hong Kong residents have been asked to test themselves for Covid-19. A doctor explains how to perform the self-test using a nasal swab, and says it is rare for a swab test to trigger a nosebleed.

Coronavirus Here's what it's actually like to do COVID-19 drive thru nose swab testing You have to swab your nose yourself, so get ready. But it's worth it.

The PCR test currently used to test for COVID-19 was, indeed, created for that use. It's not a vaccine in disguise.

One of the best ways to figure out how far a virus like COVID-19 has spread in a community is to test for it. This step-by-step guide explains how coronavirus swab-the-nose-and-throat tests work ...

Australians are fast becoming familiar with self-administering rapid antigen tests, as cases increase and the kits replace PCR swabs in most situations.