{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T00:14:51Z","timestamp":1780532091767,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":8,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004329","name":"Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004329","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) is the most frequently collected sample type when molecular diagnosis of respiratory viruses, including SARS CoV-2, is required. An optimal collection technique would provide sufficient sample quality for the diagnostic process and would minimize the discomfort felt by the patient. This study compares a simplified NPS collection procedure with only one rotation of the swab to a more standard procedure with five rotations. Swabs were collected from 76 healthy volunteers by the same healthcare professional on 2 consecutive days at a similar hour to minimize variability. The number of Ubiquitin C copy number per sample was measured by real-time quantitative PCR and patient discomfort was assessed by questionnaire. No statistically significant difference (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.15) was observed in the Ubiquitin C copy number per sample between a NPS collected with one rotation (5.2 \u00b1 0.6 log <jats:italic>UBC<\/jats:italic> number copies\/sample) or five rotations (5.3 \u00b1 0.5 log <jats:italic>UBC<\/jats:italic> number copies\/sample). However, a statistically significant difference was observed in discomfort between these two procedures, the second being much more uncomfortable. Additional analysis of the results showed a weak correlation between discomfort and the number of human cells recovered (Spearman's rho = 0.202) and greater discomfort in younger people. The results of this study show that a NPS collected with one slow rotation has the same quality as a NPS collected with five rotations. However, the collection time is shorter and, most importantly, less unpleasant for patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1066934","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T06:44:49Z","timestamp":1679553889000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["A simplified nasopharyngeal swab collection procedure for minimizing patient discomfort while retaining sample quality"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Tina","family":"Ur\u0161i\u010d","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rok","family":"Kogoj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jaka","family":"\u0160ikonja","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"Jev\u0161nik Virant","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miroslav","family":"Petrovec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anorl.2020.06.001","article-title":"How to perform a nasopharyngeal swab in adults and children in the COVID-19 era","volume":"137","author":"Pondaven-Letourmy","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102551","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjoto.2020.102551","article-title":"Nasopharyngeal swab collection in the suspicion of Covid-19","volume":"41","author":"Piras","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Otolaryngol."},{"key":"B3","year":"2020","journal-title":"Interim Guidance 19 March 2020. Laboratory Testing for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Suspected Human Cases"},{"key":"B4","unstructured":"2022"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e76","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMvcm2010260","article-title":"How to obtain a nasopharyngeal swab specimen","volume":"382","author":"Marty","year":"2020","journal-title":"N Engl J Med."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.1007\/s10616-011-9383-4","article-title":"UBC and YWHAZ as suitable reference genes for accurate normalisation of gene expression using MCF7, HCT116 and HepG2 cell lines","volume":"63","author":"Chua","year":"2011","journal-title":"Cytotechnology."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"ofaa488","DOI":"10.1093\/ofid\/ofaa488","article-title":"Evaluation of nasopharyngeal swab collection techniques for nucleic acid recovery and participant experience: Recommendations for COVID-19 diagnostics","volume":"7","author":"Kinloch","year":"2020","journal-title":"Open Forum Infect Dis"},{"key":"B8","first-page":"224","article-title":"Racial differences in nasal fossa dimensions determined by acoustic rhinometry","volume":"33","author":"Morgan","year":"1995","journal-title":"Rhinology."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1066934\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T06:44:52Z","timestamp":1679553892000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1066934\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"references-count":8,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1066934"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1066934","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"article-number":"1066934"}}