Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
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Comparative Study
A combined oropharyngeal/nares swab is a suitable alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Given the global shortage of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs typically used for respiratory virus detection, alternative collection methods were evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study showed that a combined oropharyngeal/nares swab is a suitable alternative to NP swabs for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, with sensitivities of 91.7% and 94.4%, respectively.
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With emergence of pandemic COVID-19, rapid and accurate diagnostic testing is essential. This study compared laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Canadian hospital and public health laboratories, and some commercially available real-time RT-PCR assays. Overall, analytical sensitivities were equivalent between LDTs and most commercially available methods.
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Pneumonia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. We described viral aetiologies, with particular interest in detecting SARS-CoV-2, in hospitalized pneumonia children. ⋯ No children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection is rare in children and it was not circulating in Rome before COVID-19 outbreak.
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To evaluate the reliability of self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses because swab collections for SARS-CoV-2 put health workers at risk of infection and require use of personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ Self-collection of nasal and throat swabs offers a reliable alternative to health worker collection for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and provides patients with easier access to testing, reduces exposure of the community and health workers to those being tested and reduces requirement for PPE.