title: Detecting and quantifying influenza virus with self- versus investigator-collected mid-turbinate nasal swabs.
abstract: We compared pairs of self- and investigator-collected mid-turbinate nasal swabs to detect and quantify influenza viral loads. We used RNase P, which reflects presence of human cells to determine adequate sample collection. Sixteen pairs of influenza-positive swabs and 25 pairs of influenza-negative swabs were included in this study. The median influenza A viral loads for self- and investigator-collected swabs were 1.68 and 1.67 log10copies/mL, respectively (P = 0.96). RNase P loads were also similar between self- and investigator-collected swabs (P = 0.51). Self-collected mid-turbinate nasal swabs yield comparable viral loads to investigator-collected swabs, and therefore might be considered for research and clinical management.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0873-6317
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granados
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quach
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGeer
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gubbay
authors.affiliation: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kwong
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D014420:Turbinates / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
keywords: influenza A; qPCR; self-collected nasal swab