It's OK for patients to take their own coronavirus swabs, say pathologists
A study showing reliable results could save resources and improve safety for healthcare workers
Having patients collect their own nasal and throat swabs is a reliable alternative to healthcare worker-collected specimens for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, Australian pathologists say.
A study published preprint has found that the collection methods had comparable sensitivity, prompting the Public Health Laboratory Network to update its testing guidelines on Tuesday to include patient-collected combined nasal and throat swab as a “suitable specimen”.
Co-author Dr Jenny Robson, pathologist in charge of Sullivan