Combined oropharyngeal/nasal swab is equivalent to nasopharyngeal sampling for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic PCR

BMC Microbiology

article

Desmet, Tania¹  Braeckel, Eva Van²  Malfait, Thomas²  Vermassen, Frank³  Verhasselt, Bruno⁴  Paepe, Peter De¹  Boelens, Jerina⁴  Coorevits, Liselotte⁴  Padalko, Elizaveta⁴  Vandendriessche, Stien⁴  Leroux-Roels, Isabel⁴  Aerssens, Annelies⁵  Callens, Steven⁶ 

[1] Emergency Department, Ghent University Hospital;Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital;Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Ghent University Hospital;Department of Medical Microbiology, Ghent University Hospital;Department of Infection Control, Ghent University Hospital;Department of Internal Medicine & Infectious diseases, Ghent University Hospital

关键词: Combined oropharyngeal/nasal swab;    SARS-CoV-2;    nasopharyngeal swab;    rRT-PCR;    COVID-19.;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12866-021-02087-4

学科分类：放射科、核医学、医学影像

来源: BioMed Central

【 摘 要 】

Early 2020, a COVID-19 epidemic became a public health emergency of international concern. To address this pandemic broad testing with an easy, comfortable and reliable testing method is of utmost concern. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swab sampling is the reference method though hampered by international supply shortages. A new oropharyngeal/nasal (OP/N) sampling method was investigated using the more readily available throat swab. 35 patients were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by means of either NP or OP/N sampling. The paired swabs were both positive in 31 patients. The one patient who tested negative on both NP and OP/N swab on admission, was ultimately diagnosed on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A strong correlation was found between the viral RNA loads of the paired swabs (r = 0.76; P < 0.05). The sensitivity of NP and OP/N analysis in hospitalized patients (n = 28) was 89.3% and 92.7% respectively. This study demonstrates equivalence of NP and OP/N sampling for detection of SARS-CoV-2 by means of rRT-PCR. Sensitivity of both NP and OP/N sampling is very high in hospitalized patients.

【 授权许可】

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