Polgen Swab/VTM Set is a transport system used for the collection and transport of clinical samples for isolation of RNA that will be used in SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR detection.

Background:Nasopharyngeal swabs are used for the detection of respiratory viruses such as RSV, influenza virus A & B, or parainfluenza virus. A properly collected viral swab is necessary for the detection of these organisms. Amplification of nucleic acids isolated from clinical samples by methods like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is widely used for various purposes like detection of infectious agents, identification of their genotypes, identification of DNA sequences that lead to genetic diseases, drug resistance, etc. The sensitivity of these methods is very much dependent on the appropriate collection and transport of the samples.

Polgen Swab/VTM Set is prepared to enable obtaining nasopharyngeal samples and safely transporting them to the laboratory for further analyses.

Polgen Swab/VTM Set contains a “sterile Dacron swab” in a plastic package for collecting the sample and a “sterile viral transport medium” in a crack-proof plastic tube. Samples obtained with the swab is put in the Viral Transport Medium (VTM). Since RNA molecules are very susceptible to nuclease digestion that may be coming from degrading cells, it is recommended to transport the samples in an icebox and isolate nucleic acids within 4 hours.