Scientific Study Shows Nasopharyngeal Swabs to be More Sensitive than Oropharyngeal Swabs for COVID-19 Testing
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began and COVID-19 testing became an essential part of combating its spread, Dr. John Berberian has been a major proponent of (Nasopharyngeal) NP swabs for COVID-19 testing. Now, new studies are showing that NP swabs are indeed much more effective at detecting the virus than oropharyngeal swabs – and the NPSFlex™ is an especially effective tool for detecting COVID-19.
According to Dr. John Berberian, the COVID-19 virus is able to bury itself deep inside of a patient’s nasal cavities. This attribute of the virus can make it difficult to detect with oropharyngeal swabs. NP swabs such as NPSFlex™, though, are designed to go deeper than other types of swabs used for COVID-19 testing, enabling healthcare providers to ensure that they are taking samples from an area of the nasal cavity where the virus is most likely to be present.
Thanks to this attribute of NP swabs, a recent medical study concluded that “NPS had significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 detection rate, sensitivity, and viral load than OPS. NPS could reduce droplet production during swabs. NPS should be recommended for diagnosing COVID-19 and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 load.”
Of course, with a swab that is designed to penetrate deeper into the nasal cavity, patient comfort is a big priority. There’s no denying the fact that getting tested for COVID-19 can be a somewhat painful procedure. Thankfully, though, the NPSFlex™ swab is designed to glide along with the tissue of the nasal cavity without scraping it or otherwise causing undue discomfort. Dr. John Berberian says that due to all of the benefits that it offers, the NPSFlex™ swab should become the standard swab for COVID-19 testing moving forward.
While the COVID-19 vaccine is finally allowing the world to return to some degree of normalcy, Dr. John Berberian points out that COVID-19 testing will continue to remain a key element in combating the spread of the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has required healthcare professionals to work harder and faster than ever before in regards to developing the best practices and technologies for detecting and treating the virus. Discovering the effectiveness of NP swabs compared to oropharyngeal swabs is just one lesson that we have learned since the pandemic began. Now that the effectiveness of NP swabs such as NPSFlex™ has been proven, though, it is important for healthcare providers that test for COVID-19 to make use of NP swabs in all future tests.