According to reports, employees of a medical company in Indonesia were found to be repeatedly using sterile nasal swabs when testing airport passengers. At present, more than 9,000 passengers are expected to be affected.

After investigation, the Indonesian police found that the employees involved first performed Nasopharyngeal Swabs tests on passengers with sterile nasal swabs every day, then cleaned the used sterile swabs with alcohol, and then packaged them for use by the next batch of passengers. . This behaviour is outrageous.

Contents of this article

1. What are the dangers of reusing nasal swabs?

2. Why are the swabs for PCR Swab Test put together?

3.  What should I pay attention to when doing nucleic acid testing?

4. Will the swabs for nucleic acid testing be reused?

What are the dangers of reusing nasopharyngeal swabs?

The nose is a barometer of human health. When there are lesions in the body, the colour of the snot changes to yellow or green. Nasopharyngeal swabs are a test sampling method to assess the presence of respiratory viral or bacterial infections by collecting samples from the surface of the respiratory mucosa.

As a rule, nasal swabs cannot be reused. If the nasal swab is reused, the consequences will be disastrous.

If the nasal swab is reused, it will increase the risk of virus infection. Previously, a British research team found that two kinds of cells in the nose may be the other infection sites of the new coronavirus. A clinical study found that the viral load of nasal flocked swabs The amount is significantly higher than that of throat swabs. If nasal swabs are reused, it is likely to cause cross-infection and expand the scope of infection.

On the other hand, it may lead to inaccurate test results, false positives or false negatives. It may cause psychological panic and unnecessary treatment to the subjects, and false negatives may mean that the subjects cannot find out that they have been infected in time, miss the best treatment time, and even cause more people to be infected.

Nasopharyngeal flocked swab CellMedical

Why are the sample collection swabs for nucleic acid testing all put together?

This kind of multi-person mixed inspection can improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Mixed sampling testing refers to mixing samples from multiple people (generally no more than 10 people) into the same test tube for testing, improving testing efficiency and reducing testing costs, but the waiting time for centralized sampling may be slightly longer. According to the voluntary principle, the nucleic acid test of all employees can be tested by mixed sampling technology. The laboratory testing time for mixed sample and single-tube testing is the same, which does not affect the time for issuing the testing report.

The so-called five-in-one and ten-in-one mixed sampling detection technology are to put 5 or 10 individual swabs into a collection tube. When the test result is negative, the mixed sample is negative, and the mixed sample is 5 people. or 10 people are safe;

If there is a positive result, the relevant department will be immediately notified to temporarily isolate the 5 or 10 subjects in the mixed tube, take a single tube swab again for the review, and then determine which of the 5 or 10 people is positive.

What should I pay attention to when doing a nucleic acid test (PCR test)?

Pcr test nasal swab and an antigen test difference for covid 19

Today,  many people who travel to and from high-risk areas of the epidemic require nucleic acid testing.

So, what should we pay attention to when doing nucleic acid testing (PCR SWAB TEST)?

Before the nucleic acid test: do not eat within 2 hours, do not smoke or drink within 30 minutes, carry a valid ID card, wear a mask correctly, and inform the testing personnel of past medical history or related matters.

When doing nucleic acid testing: Keep a distance of more than 1 meter when queuing, tilt your head slightly, relax, take a deep breath, and have symptoms such as dry cough or sneezing, use a tissue or cover with your arm.

After the nucleic acid test: leave the collection site immediately, and wipe your hands with hand sanitiser or alcohol.

In fact, whether it is a nasopharyngeal swab or a throat swab, it is an effective virus detection method. Although there will be slight discomfort during the test, it will soon return to normal and will not affect your health. Therefore, if necessary, we must actively cooperate with nucleic acid testing, which is responsible for ourselves and others.

Nucleic acid detection: For virus detection method.

It uses a collection flocked swab to collect a sample from the throat or nose of the tester and then conducts the test to obtain the final result.

Some people found that the flocked swabs for nucleic acid testing will be placed in a bottle(VTM Tube).

This is a mixed test, and most of them occur during nucleic acid testing of all staff, which will not affect the detection effect.

Will the swabs for nucleic acid testing be reused?

Prohibition reused.

In addition to sampling, reagents and other factors, the subject’s own reasons may also lead to “false negatives”.

Not to eat for two hours before the nucleic acid test, not to drink water for the first 30 minutes. And not to smoke, drink water or chew gum to reduce behaviours that may interfere with the test results.

There are other influencing factors before sampling and testing,

1. Please do not take antibiotics a few days before the nasal swab.

2. Do not use disinfectant mouthwash or smear on the affected area a few hours before the nasal swab.

3. Do not eat, smoke, or drink for a few hours before the nasal swab.