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Volume 12 Issue 3 ( July-September ) 2023

Original Articles

Evaluating Saliva And Gargle Lavage As A Cost-Effective Option To Throat And Nasal Swabs For Sars-Covid-2-Rna Stability And Diagnosis
Dr. Pooja Pawaria, Dr. Pallavi Gupta, Dr. Prerna Kataria, Dr. Abhishek Sinha

Background: Currently, RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) using nose and throat swab (NTS) is the most effective and widely used technique for conclusive diagnosis of COVID-19. Due to the lack of available gargle liquid, alternative sampling techniques such gargle lavage have only had limited application and effectiveness. Aims: The goal of the current investigation was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 RNA stability at 4℃ in normal saline used as a transport medium and gargle solution. The agreement between saliva/gargle liquid, nose swabs, and throat swabs in identifying SARS-CoV-2 was also evaluated in the current investigation. Methods: In Paired samples of saliva, gargles, and NTS were collected from 30 individuals whose real-time RT-PCR (RT-PCR) positive diagnosis for COVID-19 had been verified. The collected gargle lavage samples were split into two aliquots for analysis to determine the stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in normal saline. One aliquot was processed 24 to 30 hours after being stored at 4 degrees Celsius, while the other was treated with regular saliva and an NTS sample in 4-6 hours. Statistical analysis was used to determine how well the cycle threshold (Ct) values for the two aliquots agreed. Results: 13.33% (n=4) of participants with negative NTS and 6.66% (n=2) of subjects with positive NTS had negative saliva samples. 73.33% (n=22) of the participants with positive NTS and 6.66% (n=2) of the subjects with negative NTS had positive saliva samples. There were 3.33% (n=1) negative samples for NTS positive and 16.66% (n=5) negative samples for NTS in the comparison of gargle lavage samples processed after 24–30 hours. For NTS positive samples, there were 80% (n=24) gargle lavage positive samples, however for NTS negative samples, there were none. There were a total of 83.33% (n=25) positive samples from the gargle lavage and 16.66% (n=5) negative samples. There were 3.33% (n=1) negative samples that were positive for NTS and 13.33% (n=4) positive results for NTS for gargle lavage samples that were processed right away. Conclusions: According to the current investigation, SARS-CoV-2 RNA is stable in gargle samples that have been kept in normal saline for around 24–30 hours. To identify SARS-CoV-2 RNA using RT-PCR, suitable and affordable collection techniques include saliva and gargle lavage. These techniques are also accepted, affordable, and straightforward ways to collect samples, lowering costs and the effort placed on healthcare workers related to sample collection.

 
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