Table 1.
Specimen collection, transport and storage devices and respective manufacturers’ claims.
| Device | Abbreviation | Storage condition | Regulatory status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copan eSwab™ 480C + Single Regular Size Nylon® Flocked Swab | eSwab | INTENDED USE Copan Liquid Amies Elution Swab (eSwab®) Collection and Transport System is intended for the collection and transport of clinical specimens containing aerobes, anaerobes and fastidious bacteria from the collection site to the testing laboratory. Swab specimens for bacterial investigations collected using eSwab® should be transported directly to the laboratory, preferably within 2 h of collection (2–4) to maintain optimum organism viability. If immediate delivery or processing is delayed, then specimens should be refrigerated at 4–8 °C or stored at room temperature (20–25 °C) and processed within 48 h. | EU: CE IVD Outside EU: FDA cleared |
| Copan UTM-RT® Universal Transport Medium 359C + Single Regular Size Nylon® Flocked Swab | UTM | INTENDED USE UTM® is an FDA cleared collection and transport system suitable for collection, transport, maintenance and long-term freeze storage of clinical specimens containing viruses, including COVID-19, chlamydia, mycoplasma or urea plasma organisms. Using the UTM-RT® System, collected specimens can be stored for up to 72 h at 2–8 °C (according to CDC recommendations https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/guidelines-clinical-specimens.html) | EU: CE IVD Outside EU: FDA cleared |
| IMPROVIRAL™ Viral Preservative Medium (8110111) + ImproSwab® (550040A) | VPM | Widely used for the collection, preservation and transportation of nasopharyngeal pathogen specimens such as influenza, pneumonia, avian influenza, hand-foot-mouth disease, measles and other. Storage and transport under 0–8 ℃ and no more than 30 days at room temperature. | EU: CE IVD |
| Viral transport mediuma | VTM | As recommended by CDC: Store respiratory specimens at 2–8 °C for up to 72 h after collection. If a delay in testing or shipping is expected, store specimens at − 70 °C or below. | n. a. |
a
(HBSS (Life Technologies Europe, Bleiswijk, Netherlands) + 2% FCS (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, USA) + 0,2% PenStrep (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, USA).