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Just start gargling, spit out, done.
The so-called gargle test could be an alternative to poking around in the nose and throat with a cotton swab - a method that can be uncomfortable to painful.
Jana Langguth, test person
"Yes, with the throat swab there is always a bit of nausea, you don't get that with the gargle, so in my case. It is of course different for different people. But gargling is more pleasant."
In Regensburg, the authorities are already offering the gargle test on a regular basis.
The process is very simple:
MIchael Auer, team leader of the test station of the BRK
"The test person gets 10 to 20 ml of still water, he should put this in his mouth, then take his head back and gargle this water deeply for five seconds and then spit it back into the sample cup."
Researchers at the University of Vienna came up with the idea for the test procedure.
In infected people, the aerosols produced during gargling contain corona viruses that enter the liquid through gargling - in this case a salt water solution.
The test is just as reliable as the method with cotton swabs - according to the researchers.
Michael Wagner, microbiologist at the University of Vienna
"... being able to detect the new coronavirus with comparable sensitivity to the smear. That is of course particularly attractive when you think of children."
The gargle test with the salt water solution is not only gentler on the test person, but also cheaper than the smear - and can be evaluated quickly.
MIchael Auer, team leader of the test station of the BRK
"The finished sample in the zip bag goes to the laboratory of the Regensburg University Clinic on the same day and a result can be expected within 24 hours, usually even on the same day in the evening."
Not all researchers in Germany are yet convinced of the method.
Studies should now show whether the currently common smear test procedure could be replaced by the more pleasant alternative.
