Holy Swabs


To undergo a swab test, a rapid examination to diagnose an ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infection, is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience. Worrying about the test results, and the implied consequences, adds to the discomfort of this invasive examination. A thin stick (like a cotton bud) is placed deep in the nasal cavity and in the back of the throat, often triggering a cough or the gag reflex. The very moment before, when such intimacy is shared with an unknown person and where there is no defence, no choice, human character and fragility are revealed.

To undergo a swab test, a rapid examination to diagnose an ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infection, is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience. Worrying about the test results, and the implied consequences, adds to the discomfort of this invasive examination. A thin stick (like a cotton bud) is placed deep in the nasal cavity and in the back of the throat, often triggering a cough or the gag reflex. The very moment before, when such intimacy is shared with an unknown person and where there is no defence, no choice, human character and fragility are revealed.