Rare COVID-19 Test Complication Should Not Deter Test-Takers

Health shares the story of a woman in her 40’s who experienced a brain fluid leak following a nasopharyngeal test for COVID-19. Her reaction was “extremely, extremely uncommon” according to Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Dr. Watkins stresses to Health readers, “people should have the test done by trained personnel” and if you do happen to develop “severe pain that doesn’t get better after a couple of hours,” it’s important to seek medical attention.

He emphasizes, “This is extremely rare. [It] should not dissuade people from getting tested.”