Self-collected mid-nasal swabs and saliva specimens, compared with nasopharyngeal swabs, for SARS-CoV-2 detection in mild COVID-19 patients

The use of self-collected specimens for the screening of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has gained interest as they may facilitate massive screening campaigns. Various authors have reported that mid-nasal swabs1,2 and saliva3 –6 are reliable specimens, alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs, to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections by RT-qPCR, irrespective of the age group tested.7 Despite drawing consistent conclusions, studies reported heterogeneous results regarding the performance of each type of sample, particularly sensitivi ty, which strongly depends on the viral load distribution of the investigated population and sample collection protocols.
Source: Journal of Infection - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research