Comparison analysis of different swabs and transport mediums suitable for SARS-CoV-2 testing following shortages

Lauren Garnett; Alexander Bello; Kaylie N Tran; Jonathan Audet; Anders Leung; Zachary Schiffman; Bryan D Griffin; Nikesh Tailor; Darwyn Kobasa; James E Strong

doi:10.1016/j.jviromet.2020.113947

Comparison analysis of different swabs and transport mediums suitable for SARS-CoV-2 testing following shortages

J Virol Methods. 2020 Nov:285:113947. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2020.113947. Epub 2020 Aug 8.

Affiliations

¹ Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
² Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada.
³ Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: jim.strong@canada.ca.

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, as a pandemic. As of June 1, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has had a documented effect of over 6 million cases world-wide, amounting to over 370,000 deaths (World Health Organization, 2020. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Situation. http://https://covid19.who.int/). Consequently, the high demand for testing has resulted in a depletion of commercially available consumables, including the recommended swabs and viral transport media (VTM) required for nasopharyngeal sampling. Therefore, the potential use of unvalidated alternatives must be explored to address the global shortage of testing supplies. To tackle this issue, we evaluated the utility of different swabs and transport mediums for the molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2. This study compared the performance of six swabs commonly found in primary and tertiary health care settings (PurFlock Ultra, FLOQSwab, Puritan Pur-Wraps cotton tipped applicators, Puritan polyester tipped applicators, MedPro 6" cotton tipped applicators, and HOLOGIC Aptima) for their efficacy in testing for SARS-CoV-2. Separately, the molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 was completed from different transport mediums (DMEM, PBS, 100 % ethanol, 0.9 % normal saline and VTM), which were kept up to three days at room temperature (RT). The results indicate that there is no meaningful difference in viral yield from different swabs and most transport mediums for the collection and detection of SARS-CoV-2, indicating swab and medium alternatives could be used if supplies run out.

Keywords: Diagnostic testing; SARS-CoV-2; Swab.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus*
COVID-19
COVID-19 Testing
Clinical Laboratory Techniques* / methods
Clinical Laboratory Techniques* / standards
Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections / virology*
Humans
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral / virology*
Reproducibility of Results
SARS-CoV-2
Specimen Handling / methods
Specimen Handling / standards

Grants and funding

CIHR/Canada