COVID-19 Pandemic Has Increased the Demand for Nasopharyngeal Swab
A nasopharyngeal swab is a method for collecting specimens for diagnostic testing of nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat. The sample is then analyzed for the presence of organisms or other diagnostic markers for the disease. A nasopharyngeal swab is widely used in suspected cases of influenza, diphtheria, cough, and a variety of diseases caused by the coronavirus family of viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19 . The novel coronavirus ( COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The novel coronavirus quickly transformed from a local outbreak to a pandemic and has made its way to almost every corner of the world. Testing for COVID-19 involves placing a 6-inch long swab in the cavity between the nose and throat for 15 seconds and rotating it several times. The swab is then put into a container and sent to a labo...