16 May 2020

A nostril swab that characterises the COVID-19 testing has been described as uncomfortable, but not painful.

Mr Pheke Lama, a 41-year-old truck driver with NAMLOG Company told BOPA in an interview at the Tlokweng Border Gate upon receiving his COVID-19 test results on May 16, that there was some discomfort when a straw-like swab was inserted up his nostrils.

He said the discomfort was however short-lived and not painful, comparing the duration of the discomfort to an injection sting, and the feeling to that of accidentally getting swimming pool chlorinated water up the nose.

On another issue, Mr Lama said his company had made an arrangement for the drivers to exchange trucks at the border so that no driver crosses the border. As such, a driver from South Africa hands a truck full of goods to a driver from Botswana and in turn drives back with an empty truck to go and load goods for the next consignment.

To a South African truck driver, Mr Sarel Wessels of Van Tonder TPT, the test is like a deep burning and it often elicits tears and is sometimes followed by, ‘but it is not that painful’.
The 46-year-old, Mr Wessels said the test was his fourth and he was slowly getting used to the nose straw.

To fellow truck drivers, he said there really was nothing to be afraid of.
As for 50-year-old Mr Sivela Nkomo, the test is a ‘very sensitivity procedure’. He was literally screaming in fear when the doctor inserted the straw in his nostril. 

The Zimbabwean born Mr Nkomo, who now resides in South Africa, told BOPA due to his experience with the nostril swab, he would not dare come back to Botswana in the near future to expose himself to such ‘torture’ again.

For his part, Dr Jesse Appiah, who conducts the test at a port health facility at Tlokweng said swab tests aimed for the virus’ ‘preferred’ hiding spots in the nasopharynx located about seven centimetres at the back of the nose or in the turbinate area about 2.5 centimetres inside the nose.
He said once the swab had been inserted into the nose it had to be swirled around for about 15 seconds.

Dr Appiah said the discomfort one feels typically goes away quickly and there is usually no bleeding, but effects differ from one person to another. ENDS