Nasal swab tests can predict severity of COVID-19 infection --study

Nasal swab tests predict COVID-19 disease severity, Emory study finds | Emory University | Atlanta GA New research from Emory University is providing a more precise prediction of COVID-19 severity that can be found by looking at autoantibodies in the nasal cavity, leading to more personalized treatment plans.

... For high-risk individuals, this could provide critical information to inform immediate treatment options, including quickly taking medications like Paxlovid within one week of symptoms to mitigate a severe response.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, followed 125 patients with varying levels of COVID-19 (from mild to severe) for nearly two years. They tracked antibodies in both the blood and nasal airways, finding that more than 70% of people with mild or moderate COVID-19 developed certain autoantibodies – generally an indication of disease – in the nose that were surprisingly linked to fewer symptoms, better antiviral immunity, and faster recovery.