People self-testing for Covid-19 should swab their throat as well as their nose when using rapid antigen kits to increase the chances of detecting the Omicron variant, a top Israeli health official has said.

On Israeli Army Radio, Sharon Alroy-Preis, Israel's public health chief, said antigen tests, used widely in the country, are less sensitive than PCR tests in detecting illness.

“In order to increase their sensitivity, we will from now on recommend swabbing the throat and the nose. It's not what the manufacturer instructs but we are instructing this,” she said.