Table 2 Stability of the nasal swab.

Interval (days)	No. of patients	No. of positive swabs	No. of positive NPAs
0	44	30	30
1	42	30	32
2–5	26	21	21
Total	112	81	83

The interval is the time between collection and freezing of the swab. The swabs were stored frozen at −70°C for 1–6 months until tested for RSV using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The positive findings were compared with those in corresponding nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) tested using time‐resolved immunoassay (TR‐FIA) and/or RT‐PCR.