We all know that nucleic acid testing cannot be done without a virus sampling kit, which contains a nasopharyngeal swab and a virus sampling tube. Whether it is the nasopharyngeal swab or the virus preservation solution in the sampling tube, it is crucial for nucleic acid testing. So how do we choose the right virus sampling kit?

Selection of nasopharyngeal swabs.

The main indicators for clinical evaluation of swab performance are the swab's ability to absorb and release the target sample at the sampling site. Nylon flocked swabs are made of fine nylon fibers adhered to plastic rods, and the adsorption surface is significantly larger compared to traditional cotton swabs, which facilitates the adhesion and release of pathogenic microorganisms. The recovery and release ability of nylon flocked swabs and traditional rayon cotton swabs for known microbial inoculum (spiked samples) confirmed that nylon flocked swabs have significant advantages in the release ability of microorganisms such as cells, microorganisms, and viruses. Compared with conventional rayon cotton, nylon flocked swabs or foam material swabs have a significant advantage in virus recovery in screening of nasal cavity carrying MRSA virus.

And for the choice of virus preservation solution: non-inactivating preservation solution and inactivating preservation solution.

Non-inactivating preservation solution.

This is a virus maintenance solution that is based on a modified transport medium;

This is a type of solution that retains both the protein shell of the virus and the viral nucleic acid DNA or RNA;

In this way, the virus has its protein antigenic epitopes and nucleic acid integrity in vitro;

Of course, there is a risk of infection in case of mishandling. However, it maintains the originality of the virus sample to the greatest extent possible, and requires strict cold storage for a long time after sampling.

Inactivated virus preservation solution.

It is mainly a modified virus lysis solution for nucleic acid extraction and lysis, which has a high concentration of lysis salts to rapidly and efficiently inactivate the viral proteins in the sample to be tested;

It can effectively prevent secondary infection of the operator;

It also contains Rnase inhibitors to protect viral nucleic acids from degradation;

It can be stored at room temperature for a relatively long period of time, saving the cost of preserving and transporting viral samples.

In addition to inactivating the virus and protecting the nucleic acid, the inactivated sample preservation solution makes it easier to transport specimens from various remote and inaccessible collection sites to the testing laboratory than the non-inactivated sample preservation solution because the samples can be transported at room temperature after collection.