A new study suggests that school aged children can swab their own samples for COVID-19 testing, according to clinical researchers from Atlanta’s Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Before this study, the FDA imposed regulations that prevented children younger than age 14 years from self-swabbing for COVID-19. New data led researchers to suggest updating this policy …

On August 22, 2022, the Guangdong Medical Device Management Society officially released the group standards for “Disposable Sampling Swab” and “Sample Storage Tube (including transport medium)” jointly drafted by Shenzhen Medico Technology Co., Ltd. The release and implementation of this group standard is of great significance: it not only accelerates the landing of product standards related to epidemic prevention and control, …

Recently, there has been another rumor that “nucleic acid/antigen sampling swabs are toxic”. This time, the rumor-mongers are even more abhorrent. They not only used the “poisonous cotton swabs” pictures that have been clarified by the Shanghai rumor-refuting platform, have no scientific basis, and are full of errors, but also add fuel to the rumors and say “prediction: after this …

The success of the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) during the COVID-19 outbreak depends largely on the quality of the specimen and the conditions under which the specimen is transported and stored before being processed in the laboratory. The RT-qPCR diagnosis of COVID-19 requires nasopharyngeal swab specimens. This sample is then deposited in viral transport medium (VTM). There are two main …

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid testing in Jilin city, Jilin province, June 21, 2022. China’s fight against the COVID-19 epidemic has entered the stage that stresses striking a balance between disease control and social and economic development, Li Bin, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, said on Saturday. He said global COVID-19 …

CHG applicator is excellent at reducing skin bacteria. here are a few simple steps to use ChloraPrep applicators   1. Open the pouch and use the handle to remove the swabstick applicator. Do not touch the applicator tip. Rub the applicator on the skin with the flat side against the skin. Use a back and forth motion for 30 seconds. …

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very contagious, common viral respiratory infection. RSV testing detects the presence of respiratory syncytial virus in nasal secretions to help diagnose the infection. Acceptable specimens for these tests are nasal/pharyngeal (NP) swabs or nasal washes/aspirations. Specimen Collection Nasal/Pharyngeal Swab   Specimen is to be collected on a cotton, rayon, or Dacron swab with an …

Starting from Friday, visitors from overseas and Taiwan will undergo a seven-day quarantine consisting of three days at hotel and four days at home, the city’s top leader announced on Monday. Speaking to the media, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said those confirmed positive of COVID-19 after nucleic acid tests will receive a red code on the Leavehomesafe …

Sample collection technique is critical in RSV testing (respiratory syncytial virus testing). The best and most frequently used sample is a nasal aspirate or wash. A syringe is used to push a small amount of sterile saline into the nose, then gentle suction is applied (for the aspirate) or the resulting fluid is collected into a cup (for a wash). …

There are two kinds of tests available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests. RT-PCR test and antigen test are both viral test which detects the presence of SAR-CoV-2 from upper respiratory samples. The RT-PCR test targets the genomic information of the virus (RNA); however, the COVID-19 antigen test kit detects pieces of proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 virus. …

China’s top drug regulator said on Monday it has granted conditional approval for a homegrown oral pill to be used to treat COVID-19. Azvudine, developed by Genuine Biotech Co Ltd based in Henan province, was first approved to treat HIV/AIDS patients on July 20 last year, according to the National Medical Products Administration. The approval clears the way for the …

The Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus can infect a broader range of animals than the original strain and the Delta strain, underscoring the significance of monitoring for the virus in susceptible species to prevent further mutations and spillover to humans, according to a recent study conducted by Chinese researchers. By comparing the receptor binding capability-a key step for viral …