Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in combined nasal-and-throat swabs collected from COVID-19 individuals under the Universal Community Testing Programme in Hong Kong

doi:10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114396

. 2022 Feb:300:114396.

doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114396. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in combined nasal-and-throat swabs collected from COVID-19 individuals under the Universal Community Testing Programme in Hong Kong

Gannon C K Mak¹, Anita Y Y Ng², Edman T K Lam², Rickjason C W Chan², Dominic N C Tsang²

Affiliations

¹ All from Microbiology Division, Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: so_phls10@dh.gov.hk.
² All from Microbiology Division, Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

PMID: 34856306
PMCID: PMC8629508
DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114396

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in combined nasal-and-throat swabs collected from COVID-19 individuals under the Universal Community Testing Programme in Hong Kong

Gannon C K Mak et al. J Virol Methods. 2022 Feb.

. 2022 Feb:300:114396.

doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114396. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Authors

Gannon C K Mak¹, Anita Y Y Ng², Edman T K Lam², Rickjason C W Chan², Dominic N C Tsang²

Affiliations

¹ All from Microbiology Division, Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: so_phls10@dh.gov.hk.
² All from Microbiology Division, Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

PMID: 34856306
PMCID: PMC8629508
DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114396

Abstract

Background: Combined nasal-and-throat swabs (CNTS) is less invasive and easy to execute. CNTS also induces lower risk to healthcare workers upon collection. However, there is a lack of data on viral load assessment for population-wide testing.

Objective: This study assessed if CNTS is suitable as an alternative specimen type for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: We assessed the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in CNTS collected from COVID-19 individuals through the 2-week period of the Universal Community Testing Programme (UCTP) conducted in Hong Kong. In addition, we compared viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 for the paired CNTS and non-CNTS specimens among these individuals.

Results: This UCTP identified 48 COVID-19 individuals from nearly 2 million specimens collected. The viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 varied widely, cycle threshold values Ct 16.28-36.94, among symptoms and asymptomatic individuals. The viral loads for the paired CNTS and non-CNTS specimens were comparable.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that CNTS could be a specimen of choice for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: COVID-19; Combined nasal-and-throat swabs; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Universal Community Testing Programme.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

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References

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[1] Ambrosi C., Prezioso C., Checconi P., Scribano D., Sarshar M., Capannari M., Tomino C., Fini M., Garaci E., Palamara A.T., De Chiara G., Limongi D. SARS-CoV-2: Comparative analysis of different RNA extraction methods. J. Virol. Methods. 2021;287(January):114008. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2020.114008. Epub 2020 Nov 4. PMID: 33160015; PMCID: PMC7640895. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] Ambrosi C., Prezioso C., Checconi P., Scribano D., Sarshar M., Capannari M., Tomino C., Fini M., Garaci E., Palamara A.T., De Chiara G., Limongi D. SARS-CoV-2: Comparative analysis of different RNA extraction methods. J. Virol. Methods. 2021;287(January):114008. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2020.114008. Epub 2020 Nov 4. PMID: 33160015; PMCID: PMC7640895. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Carter L.J., Garner L.V., Smoot J.W., Li Y., Zhou Q., Saveson C.J., Sasso J.M., Gregg A.C., Soares D.J., Beskid T.R., Jervey S.R., Liu C. Assay techniques and test development for COVID-19 diagnosis. ACS Cent. Sci. 2020;6(May (5)):591–605. doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00501. Epub 2020 Apr 30. PMID: 32382657; PMCID: PMC7197457. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Carter L.J., Garner L.V., Smoot J.W., Li Y., Zhou Q., Saveson C.J., Sasso J.M., Gregg A.C., Soares D.J., Beskid T.R., Jervey S.R., Liu C. Assay techniques and test development for COVID-19 diagnosis. ACS Cent. Sci. 2020;6(May (5)):591–605. doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00501. Epub 2020 Apr 30. PMID: 32382657; PMCID: PMC7197457. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] CDC . 2021. Testing, Isolation, and Quarantine for Persons Who Have Recovered From Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Updated Oct. 15, 2121. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/faq.html (Accessed 21 October. )

[6] CDC . 2021. Testing, Isolation, and Quarantine for Persons Who Have Recovered From Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Updated Oct. 15, 2121. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/faq.html (Accessed 21 October. )

[7] Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses The species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2. Nat. Microbiol. 2020;5(April (4)):536–544. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0695-z. Epub 2020 Mar 2. PMID: 32123347; PMCID: PMC7095448. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses The species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2. Nat. Microbiol. 2020;5(April (4)):536–544. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0695-z. Epub 2020 Mar 2. PMID: 32123347; PMCID: PMC7095448. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] de la Tabla V.O., Masiá M., Antequera P., Martin C., Gazquez G., Buñuel F., Gutiérrez F. Comparison of combined nose-throat swabs with nasopharyngeal aspirates for detection of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2010;48(October (10)):3492–3495. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01105-10. Epub 2010 Aug 11. PMID: 20702662; PMCID: PMC2953095. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] de la Tabla V.O., Masiá M., Antequera P., Martin C., Gazquez G., Buñuel F., Gutiérrez F. Comparison of combined nose-throat swabs with nasopharyngeal aspirates for detection of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2010;48(October (10)):3492–3495. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01105-10. Epub 2010 Aug 11. PMID: 20702662; PMCID: PMC2953095. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in combined nasal-and-throat swabs collected from COVID-19 individuals under the Universal Community Testing Programme in Hong Kong

Affiliations

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in combined nasal-and-throat swabs collected from COVID-19 individuals under the Universal Community Testing Programme in Hong Kong

Authors

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