ArticlePloS one2021
Comparative analysis of various clinical specimens in detection of SARS-CoV-2 using rRT-PCR in new and follow up cases of COVID-19 infection: Quest for the best choice.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Performance of saline and water gargling for SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase PCR testing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2022Pooled it
- Alpha to JN.1 variants: SARS-CoV-2 genomic analysis unfolding its various lineages/sublineages evolved in Chhattisgarh, India from 2020 to 2024.World journal of virology · 2025Article
- Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in different types of clinical specimens among suspected COVID-19 patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Virusdisease · 2024Article
- Use of strips of rapid diagnostic tests as a source of ribonucleic acid for genomic surveillance of viruses: an example of SARS-CoV-2.Virology journal · 2024Article
- Salivary SARS-CoV-2 RNA for diagnosis of COVID-19 patients: a systematic revisew and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.The Japanese dental science review · 2023Review
- Extreme differences in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads among respiratory specimen types during presumed pre-infectious and infectious periods.PNAS nexus · 2023Article
- Conventional and Novel Diagnostic Tools for the Diagnosis of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants.Vaccines · 2023Review
- Screening and confirmation tests for SARS-CoV-2: benefits and drawbacks.Beni-Suef University journal of basic and applied sciences · 2023Review
- Article
- SARS-CoV-2 laboratory surveillance during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Brazil.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2023Article
- Validation of RT-qPCR test for SARS-CoV-2 in saliva specimens.Journal of infection and public health · 2022Article
- Genetic Load of SARS-CoV-2 in Aerosols Collected in Operating Theaters.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2022Article
- Performance Analysis of Self-Collected Nasal and Oral Swabs for Detection of SARS-CoV-2.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- COVID-19 Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Review of the RT-qPCR Method for Detection of SARS-CoV-2.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Cycle Threshold Values from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays: Interpretation and Potential Use Cases.Clinics in laboratory medicine · 2022Review
- Review of non-invasive detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens in exhaled breath condensate.Journal of breath research · 2022Review
- Genomic characterization unravelling the causative role of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of lineage B.1.617.2 in 2nd wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Chhattisgarh, India.Microbial pathogenesis · 2022Article
- SARS-CoV-2 in the Air Surrounding Patients during Nebulizer Therapy.The Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale · 2022Article
- The neglected pathogen: case reports of severe lower respiratory tract infection by human coronavirus 229E.Access microbiology · 2022Article
- Mutational characterization of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Chhattisgarh, a central state of India.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAn appropriate specimen is of paramount importance in Real Time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) based diagnosis of novel coronavirus (nCoV) disease (COVID-19). Thus, it's pertinent to evaluate various diversified clinical specimens' diagnostic utility in both diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19.
methodsA total of 924 initial specimens from 130 COVID-19 symptomatic cases before initiation of treatment and 665 follow up specimens from 15 randomly selected cases comprising of equal number of nasopharyngeal swab (NPS), oropharyngeal swab (OPS), combined NPS and OPS (Combined swab), sputum, plasma, serum and urine were evaluated by rRT-PCR.
resultsDemographic analysis showed males (86) twice more affected by COVID-19 than females (44) (p = 0.00001). Combined swabs showed a positivity rate of 100% followed by NPS (91.5%), OPS (72.3%), sputum (63%), while nCoV was found undetected in urine, plasma and serum specimens. The lowest cycle threshold (Ct) values of targeted genes E, ORF1b and RdRP are 10.56, 10.14 and 12.26 respectively and their lowest average Ct values were found in combined swab which indicates high viral load in combined swab among all other specimen types. Analysis of 665 follow-up multi-varied specimens also showed combined swab as the last specimen among all specimen types to become negative, after an average 6.6 (range 4-10) days post-treatment, having lowest (15.48) and average (29.96) Ct values of ORF1b respectively indicating posterior nasopharyngeal tract as primary nCoV afflicted site with high viral load.
conclusionThe combined swab may be recommended as a more appropriate specimen for both diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19 treatment by rRT-PCR for assessing virus clearance to help physicians in taking evidence-based decision before discharging patients. Implementing combined swabs globally will definitely help in management and control of the pandemic, as it is the need of the hour.
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