According to the expert consensus on specimen collection technology for patients with COVID-19, the specific methods for collecting nasal swabs and pharyngeal swabs are as follows:
Nasopharyngeal swab collection
1. The patient's head is tilted back (about 70 degrees) and remains stationary.
2. Use a swab to estimate the distance from the ear root to the nostril.
3. Insert vertically from the nostril to the face. The depth distance should be at least half of the length from the earlobe to the tip of the nose. After encountering resistance, it reaches the posterior nasopharynx. It should stay for several seconds to absorb secretions (generally 15 ~ 30s), and the swab should be rotated for 3 ~ 5 times.
4. Gently rotate and take out the swab, and immerse the swab head into the collection tube containing 2ml lysate or the cell preservation solution containing RNase inhibitor.
5. Break the sterile swab rod at the top, discard the tail, tighten the tube cover and seal it with sealing film.
Oropharyngeal swab collection
1. Ask the patient to gargle with normal saline or clear water first.
2. Wet the swab in sterile normal saline.
3. The patient sat down with his head tilted back and his mouth open, accompanied by an "ah" sound.
4. Fix the tongue with a tongue depressor, and the swab crosses the root of the tongue to the posterior pharyngeal wall, tonsil recess, lateral wall, etc.
5. The bilateral pharyngeal tonsils should be wiped back and forth with a swab with moderate force for at least 3 times, and then the posterior pharyngeal wall should be wiped at least 3 times, 3 ~ 5 times.
6. Take out the swab and avoid touching the tongue, pituitary, oral mucosa and saliva.
7. Immerse the swab head into the preservation solution containing 2 ~ 3ml virus.
8. Break the sterile swab rod near the top, discard the tail, tighten the tube cover and seal it with sealing film.
