Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

December 17, 2020

The Accuracy of Healthcare Worker versus Self Collected (2-in-1) Oropharyngeal and Bilateral Mid-Turbinate (OPMT) Swabs and Saliva Samples for SARS-CoV-2

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  • A diagnostic accuracy study (n=401 patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis) found that self-collected oropharynx and mid-turbinate (OMPT) and saliva samples had lower detection rates (75.1% and 74.3%, respectively) than healthcare worker (HCW)-collected OPMT swabs (82.8%). However, the combination of self-collected OMPT and saliva samples performed similarly (86.5% detection rate). The sensitivity of self-collected samples increased at lower cycle threshold (Ct) values and performed almost at the same level as HCW-collected samples at Ct < 25, suggesting they could be useful tools in high-risk settings.

Tan et al. (Dec 16, 2020). The Accuracy of Healthcare Worker versus Self Collected (2-in-1) Oropharyngeal and Bilateral Mid-Turbinate (OPMT) Swabs and Saliva Samples for SARS-CoV-2. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244417