Heliyon (Mar 2024)
Comparison of RT-PCR and antigen test sensitivity across nasopharyngeal, nares, and oropharyngeal swab, and saliva sample types during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant
- Gregory L. Damhorst,
- Jessica Lin,
- Jennifer K. Frediani,
- Julie A. Sullivan,
- Adrianna Westbrook,
- Kaleb McLendon,
- Tyler J. Baugh,
- William H. O'Sick,
- John D. Roback,
- Anne L. Piantadosi,
- Jesse J. Waggoner,
- Leda Bassit,
- Anuradha Rao,
- Morgan Greenleaf,
- Jared W. O'Neal,
- Seegar Swanson,
- Nira R. Pollock,
- Greg S. Martin,
- Wilbur A. Lam,
- Joshua M. Levy
Affiliations
- Gregory L. Damhorst
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Jessica Lin
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
- Jennifer K. Frediani
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, USA
- Julie A. Sullivan
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Adrianna Westbrook
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Pediatric Biostatistics Core, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Kaleb McLendon
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Tyler J. Baugh
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- William H. O'Sick
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- John D. Roback
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Anne L. Piantadosi
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Jesse J. Waggoner
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Leda Bassit
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Anuradha Rao
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Morgan Greenleaf
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA
- Jared W. O'Neal
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, USA
- Seegar Swanson
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA
- Nira R. Pollock
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, USA
- Greg S. Martin
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, USA; Corresponding author. Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA.
- Wilbur A. Lam
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA; Corresponding author. Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA.
- Joshua M. Levy
- Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA; Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, USA; Sinonasal and Olfaction Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIDCD/NIH; Corresponding author. Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies, Emory University, USA.
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 10,
no. 6
p. e27188
Abstract
Limited data highlight the need to understand differences in SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant viral load between the gold standard nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, mid-turbinate (MT)/anterior nasal swabs, oropharyngeal (OP) swabs, and saliva. MT, OP, and saliva samples from symptomatic individuals in Atlanta, GA, in January 2022 and longitudinal samples from a small familial cohort were tested by both RT-PCR and ultrasensitive antigen assays. Higher concentrations in the nares were observed in the familial cohort, but a dominant sample type was not found among 39 cases in the cross-sectional cohort. The composite of positive MT or OP assay for both RT-PCR and antigen assay trended toward higher diagnostic yield but did not achieve significant difference. Our data did not identify a singular preferred sample type for SARS-CoV-2 testing, but higher levels of saliva nucleocapsid, a trend toward higher yield of composite OP/MT result, and association of apparent MT or OP predominance with symptoms warrant further study.
