ArticlePloS one2021
Polyester nasal swabs collected in a dry tube are a robust and inexpensive, minimal self-collection kit for SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Remote surveillance and detection of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among household members in King County, Washington.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Trial
- Validation of polyester nasal swabs for post-mortem SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in Karachi, Pakistan: a prospective surveillance analysis.Journal of global health · 2025Observational
- Evaluating the burden of respiratory tract infections among mortality cases in Karachi, Pakistan: a post-pandemic surveillance analysis.Journal of global health · 2025Observational
- Standardization of Microsampling Technologies for Accurate Sensing and Reliable Diagnostics.ACS sensors · 2025Review
- Dry Swabs and Dried Saliva as Alternative Samples for SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Remote Areas in Lao PDR.Open forum infectious diseases · 2024Article
- No extraction? No problem. Direct to PCR processing of tongue swabs for diagnosis of tuberculosis disease as an alternative to sputum collection.Microbiology spectrum · 2024Article
- Evaluation of the impact of pre-analytical conditions on sample stability for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.Journal of virological methods · 2022Article
- Detection and Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in Three Self-Collected Specimen Types: Flocked Midturbinate Swab (MTS) in Viral Transport Media, Foam MTS, and Saliva.Microbiology spectrum · 2022Article
- The Successes and Challenges of SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Testing in the United States.Clinics in laboratory medicine · 2022Review
- K-8 Classroom Self-Collection Using XpressCollect Nasal Swab: A Usability and Efficacy Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Performance of anterior nares and tongue swabs for nucleic acid, Nucleocapsid, and Spike antigen testing for detecting SARS-CoV-2 against nasopharyngeal PCR and viral culture.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2022Article
- Flu@home: the Comparative Accuracy of an At-Home Influenza Rapid Diagnostic Test Using a Prepositioned Test Kit, Mobile App, Mail-in Reference Sample, and Symptom-Based Testing Trigger.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2022Review
- Review
- Porous surfaces: stability and recovery of coronaviruses.Interface focus · 2022Review
- Side-by-side comparison of parent vs. technician-collected respiratory swabs in low-income, multilingual, urban communities in the United States.BMC public health · 2022Article
- SwabExpress: An End-to-End Protocol for Extraction-Free COVID-19 Testing.Clinical chemistry · 2021Article
- Two-Stage Hierarchical Group Testing Strategy to Increase SARS-CoV-2 Testing Capacity at an Institution of Higher Education: A Retrospective Analysis.The Journal of molecular diagnostics : JMD · 2021Article
- Self-sampling versus health care professional-guided swab collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing.Infection · 2021Article
- Comparison of Symptoms and RNA Levels in Children and Adults With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Community Setting.JAMA pediatrics · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn order to identify an inexpensive yet highly stable SARS-CoV-2 collection device as an alternative to foam swabs stored in transport media, both contrived ("surrogate") CoV-positive and patient-collected spun polyester swabs stored in dry tubes were evaluated for time- and temperature-stability using qPCR.
methodsSurrogate specimens were prepared by combining multiple, residual SARS-CoV-2-positive clinical specimens and diluting to near-LOD levels in either porcine or human mucus ("matrix"), inoculating foam or polyester nasal swabs, and sealing in dry tubes. Swabs were then subjected to one of three temperature excursions: (1) 4°C for up to 72 hours; (2) 40°C for 12 hours, followed by 32°C for up to 60 hours; or (3) multiple freeze-thaw cycles (-20°C). The stability of extracted SARS-CoV-2 RNA for each condition was evaluated by qPCR. Separate usability studies for the dry polyester swab-based HealthPulse@home COVID-19 Specimen Collection Kit were later conducted in both adult and pediatric populations.
resultsPolyester swabs stored dry demonstrated equivalent performance to foam swabs for detection of low and moderate SARS-CoV-2 viral loads. Mimicking warm- and cold- climate shipment, surrogate specimens were stable following either 72 hours of a high-temperature excursion or two freeze-thaw cycles. In addition, usability studies comprised of self-collected patient specimens yielded sufficient material for molecular testing, as demonstrated by RNase P detection.
conclusionsPolyester nasal swabs stored in dry collection tubes offer a robust and inexpensive self-collection method for SARS-CoV-2 viral load testing, as viral RNA remains stable under conditions required for home collection and shipment to the laboratory.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.