Coronavirus FAQ: Why are some folks hacking home COVID tests by swabbing their throat?

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/01/12/ [login to see] /coronavirus-faq-why-are-some-folks-hacking-home-covid-tests-by-swabbing-their-th
Lots of folks on Twitter say that swabbing your throat in addition to your nose may be a better way of using your COVID-19 testing kit to detect the omicron variant. Is this true?

If you've used a do-it-yourself COVID-19 home test in the U.S. — the "antigen" rapid tests that promise results in 15 minutes or so — you know the drill. You typically swirl a cotton swab around in your nostrils, mix it with some liquid and then drop it on a test strip to await the results: positive or negative for the coronavirus.

But in recent weeks, there has been an online debate about where to stick that cotton swab. Although the directions specify a nasal swab on U.S. products, some medical professionals believe the test is more effective at detecting the coronavirus, and specifically the omicron variant, if the kit's swab is used in the throat and/or cheek in addition to the nose.

Why did this hack emerge — and is there any medical science to back it up?