Search

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the development of innovative solutions for specimen collection and molecular detection for large-scale community testing. Among these developments is the RHINOstic nasal swab, a plastic anterior nares swab built into the cap of a standard matrix tube that facilitates automated processing of up to 96 specimens at a time. In a study of unsupervised self-collection utilizing these swabs, we demonstrate comparable analytic performance and shipping stability compared to traditional anterior nares swabs, as well as significant improvements in laboratory processing efficiency. The use of these swabs may allow laboratories to accommodate large numbers of sample collections during periods of high testing demand. Automation-friendly nasal swabs are an important tool for high-throughput processing of samples that may be adopted in response to future respiratory viral pandemics., Competing Interests: The authors have no relationship with the Rhinostics corporation. Dr. Chu reported consulting with Ellume, Pfizer, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She has served on advisory boards for Vir, Merck, and Abbvie. She has conducted CME teaching with Medscape, Vindico, Catalyst CME, and Clinical Care Options. She has received support and reagents from Ellume and Cepheid outside of the submitted work. Dr. Englund reports consulting with AstraZeneca, Meissa Vaccines, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sanofi Pasteur, and research support from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Moderna, and Pfizer.