Self-swabbing in coronavirus pandemic- A game changer which can be introduced in field

Authors

  • Satheesh Kumar Bhandary K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore
  • Rajeshwary Aroor K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-1429
  • Vadisha Bhat K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8510-0785
  • Mark Jittu V K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore
  • Sreesan P K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2020.v32i02SUPP.026

Keywords:

Swabing

Abstract

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is a highly contagious infection known to spread rapidly, leading to severe consequences and disasters. Health care workers are at higher risk of getting the infection, during the process of diagnosis and treatment of patients with the disease. Worldwide, a lot of health care workers have lost their lives because of COVID-19 infection. Managing the COVID- 19 caseload is a real challenge to the health care system. For the diagnosis of COVID-19, both nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs are obtained to detect viral RNA. (1). A nasopharyngeal swab is more sensitive due to higher viral load in nasal secretions than oral secretions, which is similar to that of Influenza (2). Taking nasopharyngeal swab is a real challenge to the health care workers and also is uncomfortable for the patient. It also exposes the health care workers to aerosols. Moreover, the scarcity of personal protective equipment (PPE) is a real burden to the health care system.

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References

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Seanman CP, Tran LTT, Cowling BJ, Sullivan SG. Self-collected compared with professional-collected swabbing in the diagnosis of influenza in symptomatic individuals: A meta-analysis and assessment of validity. Journal Of clinical virology 2019; 118:28-35.

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Published

2020-04-20

How to Cite

1.
Bhandary SK, Aroor R, Bhat V, V MJ, P S. Self-swabbing in coronavirus pandemic- A game changer which can be introduced in field. Indian J Community Health [Internet]. 2020 Apr. 20 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];32(2 (Supp):309 - 310. Available from: http://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/1463

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