ABSTRACT
Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate a relatively convenient, safe, and sensitive sampling method in the nucleic acid detection of the 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Materials and method: The nasopharyngeal swab samples of patients admitted to the 13 inpatient areas of the Tumor Center, Xiehe Hospital of the affiliated Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (temporarily transformed into a designated hospital for critical patients with COVID-19) from February 21 to 23, 2020 were used for the nucleic acid detection analysis of 2019-nCoV. The nasopharyngeal swab samples in the present inpatient area were obtained by a standardized sampling method. Results: A total of 663 samples were collected from the tumor center with 125 positive ones. Among these samples, 33 samples were collected from the present inpatient area, and 11 cases (33%) were positive. A further 630 samples were collected from other inpatient areas, in which 114 samples (18%) were positive. The difference in the positivity between the present inpatient area and other areas was statistically significant. Conclusion: The standardized nasopharyngeal swabs sampling had a high positive detection rate in the nucleic acid detection of 2019-nCoV and was safer and more convenient for medical staff and worthy of wider clinical use.