Cotton-Tipped Plastic Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Diagnosis to Prevent Supply Shortages
oleh: Byron Freire-Paspuel, Patricio Vega-Mariño, Alberto Velez, Paulina Castillo, Eliana Elizabeth Gomez-Santos, Marilyn Cruz, Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-06-01 |
Deskripsi
CDC and WHO guidelines for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis only recommend synthetic fiber swabs for nasopharyngeal (NP) sampling. We show that cotton-tipped plastic swabs do not inhibit PCR and have equivalent performance to rayon swabs. Cotton-tipped plastic swabs are massively produced worldwide and would prevent swab supply shortages under the current high SARS-CoV-2 testing demands, particularly in developing countries.