NP swabs are less invasive than nasal wash or nasal curettage, and more sensitive to viral detection and RNA collection than other non-invasive sample collection methods for respiratory testing such as anterior nares swabs, nose blowing, and nasosorption. Performance of multiple tests typically requires use of multiple specimens, although clinical research has explored the viability of using single NP swabs for multiple testing.

Nasopharyngeal (NP) Swabs

Smith College

Biomedical engineers have put in extensive time and research in testing methods and diagnostics regarding the novel coronavirus. The test results of the population have provided mathematical models to visualize the pandemic, alternatively the private sector has produced a high-volume of nasopharyngeal, throat, and nasal test kits by bioengineering front-runners including: Abbot, Xpert, Lightmix, and Genmark.

Diagnostics and Testing with Biomedical Engineering

Lopez, S.M.C., Martin, J.M., Johnson, M. et al. A method of processing nasopharyngeal swabs to enable multiple testing. Pediatr Res 86, 651–654 (2019). https://doi-org.libezproxy2.syr.edu/10.1038/s41390-019-0498-1
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-019-0498-1

A method of processing nasopharyngeal swabs to enable multiple testing

Machine Learning models can be used to better understand the proteins and complexes that are incvolved with the novel Coronavirus. This includes producing predictions of pandemic regarding hospitalizations, patient outcomes, and simulations.

Machine Learning Analysis 

Key Features of Diagnostic Testing and Sampling

Specificity measures the ability for the test to produce a correct negative result for people who don't have a given condition.
ex) A test with a 80% sensitivity will return a correct positive result 85% of the time, but a a false negative 15% percent of the time.

Specificity in Testing

Sensitivity is a measure of how often a "true positive" result is produced. A test with a sensitivity of 85% will produce a "true positive" 85% and a false negative 15% of the time.

Sensitivity of Testing

Currently Used Methods for Diagnosis

Sample Collection Methods for Diagnosis

- Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification
- RPA
- CRISPR
- Cas13a Assay
- Next Generation Sequencing 
- Nanomaterials (nanotrap particles, etc.)
- Wondfo Qualitative Rapid Chromatographic Immunoassay (RCI)

Emerging Methods for Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

- A reduction of ADAMTS13 levels can potentially predict mortality risk for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2

Potential Diagnostic Methods for COVID-19 Mortality Prediction  

Weekly surveillance testing along with isolation would more effectively limit COVID-19 outbreaks than the slow and expensive (yet precise) qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) testing method that is currently employed.

Testing Strategy for Controlling COVID-19 Outbreaks

In August, the CDC officially recommended that those without COVID-19 symptoms didn't need to be tested- even if they knew they'd been exposed. This decision received a lot of backlash from public health officials pushing for more testing.  It was later revealed that that the original guidelines had been re-written by those involved with the Department of Health and Human Services and the US COVID task force.

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