key: cord-0751552-qbffzhfm
authors: Shamim, Thorakkal
title: The most compatible position of operator and patient for nasopharyngeal swab procedure for coronavirus disease in rural setup
date: 2021-04-01
journal: J Rural Med
DOI: 10.2185/jrm.2020-053
sha: b451c861f62ea6bf275e4c6733083ffe0670cf5e
doc_id: 751552
cord_uid: qbffzhfm

nan

There is brief literature regarding the nasopharyngeal swab procedure performed in adults and children for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 1, 2) . We have been deputed to perform the nasopharyngeal swab technique in COVID-19 patients.

This letter is a personal reflection about the most compatible position of the operator and patient to perform the nasopharyngeal swab procedure in a rural setup. The positions of the patient and operator are critical for the successful completion of nasopharyngeal swab procedure for COVID-19 testing.

For the swab procedure from the right nostril, the patient should be seated upright in a chair with eyes looking straight, and the operator should stand at the nine o'clock position. The patient's head should be placed at a right angle (90°) to the floor. This position can suitably guide the operator to insert the swab parallel to the floor of the nasal fossa. This is the most compatible position for both the operator and patient during the nasopharyngeal swab procedure in a rural setup.

If this technique is mastered, it will be easy to collect the sample, and swabs can be efficiently collected from a large number of cases in rural places.

The author (Thorakkal Shamim) contributed in the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND Final approval of the version to be published; AND Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

How to perform a nasopharyngeal swab in adults and children in the COVID-19 era

COVID-19: Nasal and oropharyngeal swab

The author declares that he has no competing interest.