Validation of the Hologic Aptima Unisex and Multitest Specimen Collection Kits Used for Endocervical and Male Urethral Swab Specimens (Aptima Swabs) for Collection of Samples from SARS-CoV-2-Infected Patients
Erik Avaniss-Aghajani, Anastasia Sarkissian, Filipe Santos Fernando, A. Avaniss-Aghajani
Abstract
Recent events have seen the rise of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) all across the world affecting the lives and economies of every nation. Originally identified in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread at an incredible rate to become a pandemic. Causing flu-like symptoms and severe respiratory problems, it has been shown to have a high fatality rate worldwide (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019). Large-volume testing has been a necessary tool for combating the spread of the virus and identification of infected individuals for focused care and isolation. A combination of the virus’ high infection rate, unprecedented volume testing need, and lack of world preparation has left testing health care providers without sufficient supplies in order to test samples at an efficient rate. Most notably, the flocked swabs and universal transport media (UTM) that are the primary collections tools for virtually all real-time PCR (RT-PCR) tests available for detection of SARS-CoV-2 have been on severe shortage, hampering testing all across United States.