Efficacy and safety of Lianhua Qingwen capsules combined with standard of care in the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 (FLOSAN): protocol for a randomized, double-blind, international multicenter clinical trial.

Background: Effective anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) drugs are not only the next defense after vaccines but also the key part of establishing a multi-tiered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control system. Previous studies had indicated that Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) capsules could be an efficacious Chinese patent drug for treating mild to moderate COVID-19. However, pharmacoeconomic evaluations are lacking, and few trials have been conducted in other countries or regions to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LHQW treatment. So, this study aims to explore the clinical efficacy, safety, and economy of LHQW for treating adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international multicenter clinical trial protocol. A total of 860 eligible subjects are randomized at a 1:1 ratio into the LHQW or placebo group to receive two-week treatment and follow-up visits on days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14. Clinical symptoms, patient compliance, adverse effects, cost scale, and other indicators are recorded. The primary outcomes will be the measured median time to sustained improvement or resolution of the nine major symptoms during the 14-day observation period. Secondary outcomes regarding clinical efficacy will be evaluated in detail on the basis of clinical symptoms (especially body temperature, gastrointestinal symptoms, smell loss, and taste loss), viral nucleic acid, imaging (CT/chest X-ray), the incidence of severe/critical illness, mortality, and inflammatory factors. Moreover, we will assess health care cost, health utility, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for economic evaluation. Discussion: This is the first international multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Chinese patent medicine for the treatment of early COVID-19 in accordance with WHO guidelines on COVID-19 management. This study will help clarify the potential efficacy and cost-effectiveness of LHQW in the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19, facilitating decision-making by healthcare workers. Registration: This study is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, with registration number: ChiCTR2200056727 (date of first registration: 11/02/2022).

Recent advances in RNA sample preparation techniques for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and gargle.

Molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 in gargle and saliva complements the standard analysis of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) specimens. Although gargle and saliva specimens can be readily obtained non-invasively, appropriate collection and processing of gargle and saliva specimens are critical to the accuracy and sensitivity of the overall analytical method. This review highlights challenges and recent advances in the treatment of gargle and saliva samples for subsequent analysis using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and isothermal amplification techniques. Important considerations include appropriate collection of gargle and saliva samples, on-site inactivation of viruses in the sample, preservation of viral RNA, extraction and concentration of viral RNA, removal of substances that inhibit nucleic acid amplification reactions, and the compatibility of sample treatment protocols with the subsequent nucleic acid amplification and detection techniques. The principles and approaches discussed in this review are applicable to molecular detection of other microbial pathogens.

Impact of the COVID-19 kindergarten closure on overweight and obesity among 3- to 7-year-old children.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the impact of the temporary kindergarten closure policy under COVID-19 in 2020 on childhood overweight and obesity is inadequate. We aimed to examine differences in rates of overweight and obesity from 2018 to 2021 among kindergarten children aged 3-7 years. METHODS: Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) > 1 standard deviation (SD) for age and sex, and obesity was defined as BMI > 2 SD for age and sex. Generalized linear mixed modeling was used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 44,884 children and 71,216 growth data points from all 57 public kindergartens in Jiading District, Shanghai, China were analyzed. The rates of obesity from 2018 to 2021 were 6.9%, 6.6%, 9.5%, and 7.3% in boys and 2.8%, 2.8%, 4.5%, and 3.1% in girls, respectively. The rates of overweight from 2018 to 2021 were 14.3%, 14.3%, 18.2%, and 15.3% in boys and 10.6%, 10.9%, 13.9%, and 11.6% in girls. The rates of obesity and overweight among kindergarten children in 2020 were significantly higher than those in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Compared to 2020, the odds ratios of the obesity rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.77, P < 0.001], 0.72 (95% CI = 0.64-0.80, P < 0.001) and 0.81 (95% CI = 0.72-0.92, P = 0.001), respectively. The odds ratios of the overweight rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.75 (95% CI = 0.69-0.82, P < 0.001), 0.78 (95% CI = 0.72-0.84, P < 0.001), and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.81-0.97, P = 0.008), respectively, compared to 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of overweight and obesity significantly increased among kindergarten children in 2020 after the 5-month kindergarten closure. It was critical to provide guidance to caregivers on fostering a healthy lifestyle for children at home under public health emergencies.

Study on Spatial Changes in PM2.5 before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southwest China

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) swept the world at the beginning of 2020, and strict activity control measures were adopted in China's concentrated and local outbreak areas, which led to social shutdown. This study was conducted in southwest China from 2019 to 2021, and was divided into the year before COVID-19 (2019), the year of COVID-19 outbreak (2020), and the year of normalization of COVID-19 prevention and control (2021). A geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model was used to invert the spatial distribution of PM2.5 by combining PM2.5 on-site monitoring data and related driving factors. At the same time, a multiple linear regression (MLR) model was constructed for comparison with the GTWR model. The results showed that: (1) The inversion accuracy of the GTWR model was higher than that of the MLR model. In comparison with the commonly used PM2.5 datasets "CHAP” and "ACAG”, PM2.5 inverted by the GTWR model had higher data accuracy in southwest China. (2) The average PM2.5 concentrations in the entire southwest region were 32.1, 26.5, and 28.6 μg/m3 over the three years, indicating that the society stopped production and work and the atmospheric PM2.5 concentration reduced when the pandemic control was highest in 2020. (3) The winter and spring of 2020 were the relatively strict periods for pandemic control when the PM2.5 concentration showed the most significant drop. In the same period of 2021, the degree of control was weakened, and the PM2.5 concentration showed an upward trend.

On-Site Viral Inactivation and RNA Preservation of Gargle and Saliva Samples Combined with Direct Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on Magnetic Beads.

Samples of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) are commonly used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and diagnosis of COVID-19. As an alternative, self-collection of saliva and gargle samples minimizes transmission to healthcare workers and relieves the pressure of resources and healthcare personnel during the pandemic. This study aimed to develop an enhanced method enabling simultaneous viral inactivation and RNA preservation during on-site self-collection of saliva and gargle samples. Our method involves the addition of saliva or gargle samples to a newly formulated viral inactivation and RNA preservation (VIP) buffer, concentration of the viral RNA on magnetic beads, and detection of SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction directly from the magnetic beads. This method has a limit of detection of 25 RNA copies per 200 µL of gargle or saliva sample and 9-111 times higher sensitivity than the viral RNA preparation kit recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The integrated method was successfully used to analyze more than 200 gargle and saliva samples, including the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 123 gargle and saliva samples collected daily from two NPS-confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 patients throughout the course of their infection and recovery. The VIP buffer is stable at room temperature for at least 6 months. SARS-CoV-2 RNA (65 copies/200 µL sample) is stable in the VIP buffer at room temperature for at least 3 weeks. The on-site inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and preservation of the viral RNA enables self-collection of samples, reduces risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and maintains the stability of the target analyte.

COVID-19 pandemic and adolescent mental health in China: Micro evidence and socioeconomic mechanisms.

Although the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health has received sufficient attention in the medical and public health fields, analysis from the social science perspective is still lacking. By regarding the shock of COVID-19 pandemic as a quasi-natural experiment, this study adopts the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model and large microdata from Shandong Province, China, to identify the causal effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of senior high school students. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic results in an increase of 2.5677 points in adolescent psychological problem scores, equivalent to an average decrease of 29.93% in mental health. Furthermore, results of mechanism tests show that this negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health can be explained by a reduction in social trust, as well as widening inequalities caused by the digital divide and family income gap. Moreover, the estimates suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has a greater negative influence on the mental health of boys and urban adolescents. Our study complements the research field on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health and the potential socioeconomic mechanisms from a new perspective. These findings provide insights into how to safeguard adolescent mental health in China and other countries in the pandemic prevention and post-pandemic era.

The Dynamic Effects of COVID-19 and the March 2020 Crash on the Multifractality of NASDAQ Insurance Stock Markets

Triggered by COVID-19, one of the most dramatic crashes in the stock market in history occurred in March 2020. The sharp reductions in NASDAQ insurance stock indexes were observed after the occurrence of COVID-19 and in March 2020. In this study, the NASDAQ insurance stock markets (including NASDAQ Insurance Index, Developed Markets Insurance Index, and Emerging Markets Insurance Index) and NASDAQ Composite Index are utilized. The 'scissors difference';between the NASDAQ Insurance Index and NASDAQ Composite Index is observed. The dynamic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic and the March 2020 crash on the multifractality of four series are explored. Firstly, the apparent and intrinsic multifractality, the components of multifractality, and the dynamic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on these indexes are analyzed. Secondly, the multifractal cross-correlation between the NASDAQ Insurance Index and NASDAQ Composite Index is investigated. The dynamic influence of the COVID-19 epidemic on the cross-correlation is examined. The multifractal analysis results reveal that four series both before and after the occurrence of COVID-19 have multifractal characteristics. The stronger multifractal characteristics and the greater multifractal degree are obtained after the occurrence of COVID-19. The intrinsic multifractality of the three indexes ascends largely after the occurrence of COVID-19. The multifractal cross-correlation analysis illustrates that the cross-correlation between two indexes before and after the occurrence of COVID-19 is multifractal. The stronger multifractal cross-correlations and greater multifractal degrees are shown. The contribution of the intrinsic multifractal cross-correlation increased after the occurrence of COVID-19.

An efficient method to enhance recovery and detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater.

Wastewater surveillance (WS) of SARS-CoV-2 currently requires multiple steps and suffers low recoveries and poor sensitivity. Here, we report an improved analytical method with high sensitivity and recovery to quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. To improve the recovery, we concentrated SARS-CoV-2 viral particles and RNA from both the solid and aqueous phases of wastewater using an electronegative membrane (EM). The captured viral particles and RNA on the EM were incubated in our newly developed viral inactivation and RNA preservation (VIP) buffer. Subsequently, the RNA was concentrated on magnetic beads and inhibitors removed by washing. Without eluting, the RNA on the magnetic beads was directly detected using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus (SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a noninfectious viral coat) spiked to wastewater samples showed an improved recovery of 80%. Analysis of 120 wastewater samples collected twice weekly between May 2021 and February 2022 from two wastewater treatment plants showed 100% positive detection, which agreed with the results independently obtained by a provincial public health laboratory. The concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in these wastewater samples ranged from 2.4×102 to 2.9×106 copies per 100 mL of wastewater. Our method's capability of detecting trace and diverse concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in complex wastewater samples is attributed to the enhanced recovery of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and efficient removal of PCR inhibitors. The improved method for the recovery and detection of viral RNA in wastewater is important for wastewater surveillance, complementing clinical diagnostic tests for public health protection.

Spatial-temporal clustering of an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Delta VOC in Guangzhou, China in 2021.

Background: In May 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant led to the first local outbreak in China in Guangzhou City. We explored the epidemiological characteristics and spatial-temporal clustering of this outbreak. Methods: Based on the 153 cases in the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant outbreak, the Knox test was used to analyze the spatial-temporal clustering of the outbreak. We further explored the spatial-temporal clustering by gender and age groups, as well as compared the changes of clustering strength (S) value between the two outbreaks in Guangzhou. Results: The result of the Knox analysis showed that the areas at short distances and brief periods presented a relatively high risk. The strength of clustering of male-male pairs was higher. Age groups showed that clustering was concentrated in cases aged ≤ 18 years matched to 18-59 years and cases aged 60+ years. The strength of clustering of the outbreak declined after the implementation of public health measures. The change of strength of clustering at time intervals of 1-5 days decreased greater in 2021 (S = 129.19, change rate 38.87%) than that in 2020 (S = 83.81, change rate 30.02%). Conclusions: The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Delta VOC in Guangzhou has obvious spatial-temporal clustering. The timely intervention measures are essential role to contain this outbreak of high transmission.

COVID-19 pandemic and adolescent mental health in China: Micro evidence and socioeconomic mechanisms

Although the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health has received sufficient attention in the medical and public health fields, analysis from the social science perspective is still lacking. By regarding the shock of COVID-19 pandemic as a quasi-natural experiment, this study adopts the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model and large microdata from Shandong Province, China, to identify the causal effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of senior high school students. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic results in an increase of 2.5677 points in adolescent psychological problem scores, equivalent to an average decrease of 29.93% in mental health. Furthermore, results of mechanism tests show that this negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health can be explained by a reduction in social trust, as well as widening inequalities caused by the digital divide and family income gap. Moreover, the estimates suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has a greater negative influence on the mental health of boys and urban adolescents. Our study complements the research field on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health and the potential socioeconomic mechanisms from a new perspective. These findings provide insights into how to safeguard adolescent mental health in China and other countries in the pandemic prevention and post-pandemic era.

The Dynamic Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on the Multifractal Cross-Correlations between PM2.5 and O3 Concentrations in and around Shanghai, China

Although the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused serious restrictions on human activities in and around Shanghai, China, the period can be viewed as a helpful experiment to investigate the correlation between PM2.5 and O3 concentrations. In this study, the hourly PM2.5 and O3 series in four cities (i.e., Shanghai, Jiaxing, Nantong and Suzhou) from 27 November 2019 to 23 March 2020 are used. The 'seesaw effect';is observed in the study data. The dynamic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the multifractal cross-correlations and the coordinated control degree of PM2.5-O3 are examined in these cities. First of all, the multifractal cross-correlations, multifractality components and dynamic influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on cross-correlations between PM2.5 and O3 in four cities are illustrated. Furthermore, a new quantification index, ζ, evaluating the coordinated control degree of PM2.5-O3 is developed, validated and compared. The multifractal cross-correlation analysis results reveal that the cross-correlations between PM2.5 and O3 in and around Shanghai both before and during the COVID-19 partial lockdown have multifractal characteristics. Moreover, there are weaker multifractal cross-correlation degrees of PM2.5-O3 in four cities during the COVID-19 partial lockdown. The multifractal cause analysis based on stochastic simulation illustrates that the impacts of multifractality due to the nonlinear correlation part are greater than the linear correlation part and the fat-tailed probability distribution part in and around Shanghai. The intrinsic multifractal cross-correlations decreased in all cities during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the multifractal cross-correlations are limited from the perspective of intrinsic multifractality. The mean values of ζin and around Shanghai all increase during the COVID-19 partial lockdown, which indicates that the PM2.5-O3 coordinated control degrees in all four cities become weaker.

An Efficient Method to Enhance Recovery and Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater

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An Application of Artificial Neural Network to Evaluate the Influence of Weather Conditions on the Variation of PM2.5-Bound Carbonaceous Compositions and Water-Soluble Ionic Species

Previous studies have determined biomass burning as a major source of air pollutants in the ambient air in Thailand. To analyse the impacts of meteorological parameters on the variation of carbonaceous aerosols and water-soluble ionic species (WSIS), numerous statistical models, including a source apportionment analysis with the assistance of principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and artificial neural networks (ANNs), were employed in this study. A total of 191 sets of PM2.5 samples were collected from the three monitoring stations in Chiang-Mai, Bangkok, and Phuket from July 2020 to June 2021. Hotspot numbers and other meteorological parameters were obtained using NOAA-20 weather satellites coupled with the Global Land Data Assimilation System. Although PCA revealed that crop residue burning and wildfires are the two main sources of PM2.5, ANNs highlighted the importance of wet deposition as the main depletion mechanism of particulate WSIS and carbonaceous aerosols. Additionally, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were deeply connected with albedo, plausibly owing to their strong hygroscopicity as the CCNs responsible for cloud formation.

SARS-CoV-2 inactivation by ultraviolet radiation and visible light is dependent on wavelength and sample matrix.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 can be inactivated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, there are few data available on the relative efficacy of different wavelengths of UV radiation and visible light, which complicates assessments of UV decontamination interventions. The present study evaluated the effects of monochromatic radiation at 16 wavelengths from 222 nm through 488 nm on SARS-CoV-2 in liquid aliquots and dried droplets of water and simulated saliva. The data were used to generate a set of action spectra which quantify the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to genome damage and inactivation across the tested wavelengths. UVC wavelengths (≤280 nm) were most effective for inactivating SARS-CoV-2, although inactivation rates were dependent on sample type. Results from this study suggest that UV radiation can effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in liquids and dried droplets, and provide a foundation for understanding the factors which affect the efficacy of different wavelengths in real-world settings.

Novel sustainable filter for virus filtration and inactivation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a multi-scale impact on the world population that started from a nano-scale respiratory virus and led to the shutdown of macro-scale economies. Direct transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) and its variants through aerosolized droplets is a major contributor towards increasing cases of this infection. To curb the spread, one of the best engineered solutions is the use of face masks to prevent the passage of infectious saliva micro-droplets from an infected person to a healthy person. The commercially available masks are single use, passive face-piece filters. These become difficult to breathe in during strenuous activities. Also, they need to be disposed regularly due to accumulation of unwanted particulate and pathogens over time. Frequent disposal of these masks is unsustainable for the environment. In this study, we have proposed a novel design for a filter for enhanced virus filtration, better breathability, and virus inactivation over time. The filter is called Hy-Cu named after its (Hy) drophobic properties and another significant layer comprises of copper (Cu). The breathability (pressure drop across filter) of Hy-Cu is tested and compared with widely used surgical masks and KN95 masks, both experimentally and numerically. The results show that the Hy-Cu filter offers at least 10% less air resistance as compared to commercially available masks. The experimental results on virus filtration and inactivation tests using MS2 bacteriophage (a similar protein structure as SARS-CoV-2) show that the novel filter has 90% filtering efficiency and 99% virus inactivation over a period of 2 h. This makes the Hy-Cu filter reusable and a judicious substitute to the single use masks.

When and How to Adjust Non-Pharmacological Interventions Concurrent with Booster Vaccinations Against COVID-19 - Guangdong, China, 2022.

Introduction: With the large-scale roll-out of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster vaccination effort (a vaccine dose given 6 months after completing primary vaccination) in China, we explore when and how China could lift non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) against COVID-19 in 2022. Methods: Using a modified susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) mathematical model, we projected the COVID-19 epidemic situation and required medical resources in Guangdong Province, China. Results: If the number of people entering from overseas recovers to 20% of the number in 2019, the epidemic in 2022 could be controlled at a low level by a containment (215 local cases) or suppression strategy (1,397 local cases). A mitigation strategy would lead to 21,722 local cases. A coexistence strategy would lead to a large epidemic with 6,850,083 local cases that would overwhelm Guangdong's medical system. With 50% or 100% recovery of the 2019 level of travelers from overseas, the epidemic could also be controlled with containment or suppression, but enormous resources, including more hotel rooms for border quarantine, will be required. However, coexistence would lead to an uncontrollable epidemic with 12,922,032 local cases. Discussion: With booster vaccinations, the number of travelers from overseas could increase slightly in 2022, but a suppression strategy would need to be maintained to ensure a controllable epidemic.

Identification of a novel coronavirus causing severe pneumonia in human: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Human infections with zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, have raised great public health concern globally. Here, we report a novel bat-origin CoV causing severe and fatal pneumonia in humans. METHODS: We collected clinical data and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from five patients with severe pneumonia from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Hubei province, China. Nucleic acids of the BAL were extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Virus isolation was carried out, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed. RESULTS: Five patients hospitalized from December 18 to December 29, 2019 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea accompanied by complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Chest radiography revealed diffuse opacities and consolidation. One of these patients died. Sequence results revealed the presence of a previously unknown ß-CoV strain in all five patients, with 99.8% to 99.9% nucleotide identities among the isolates. These isolates showed 79.0% nucleotide identity with the sequence of SARS-CoV (GenBank NC_004718) and 51.8% identity with the sequence of MERS-CoV (GenBank NC_019843). The virus is phylogenetically closest to a bat SARS-like CoV (SL-ZC45, GenBank MG772933) with 87.6% to 87.7% nucleotide identity, but is in a separate clade. Moreover, these viruses have a single intact open reading frame gene 8, as a further indicator of bat-origin CoVs. However, the amino acid sequence of the tentative receptor-binding domain resembles that of SARS-CoV, indicating that these viruses might use the same receptor. CONCLUSION: A novel bat-borne CoV was identified that is associated with severe and fatal respiratory disease in humans.

On-Site Viral Inactivation and RNA Preservation of Gargle and Saliva Samples Combined with Direct Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on Magnetic Beads

Samples of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) are commonly used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and diagnosis of COVID-19. As an alternative, self-collection of saliva and gargle samples minimizes transmission to healthcare workers and relieves the pressure of resources and healthcare personnel during the pandemic. This study aimed to develop an enhanced method enabling simultaneous viral inactivation and RNA preservation during on-site self-collection of saliva and gargle samples. Our method involves the addition of saliva or gargle samples to a newly formulated viral inactivation and RNA preservation (VIP) buffer, concentration of the viral RNA on magnetic beads, and detection of SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction directly from the magnetic beads. This method has a limit of detection of 25 RNA copies per 200 μL of gargle or saliva sample and 9–111 times higher sensitivity than the viral RNA preparation kit recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The integrated method was successfully used to analyze more than 200 gargle and saliva samples, including the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 123 gargle and saliva samples collected daily from two NPS-confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 patients throughout the course of their infection and recovery. The VIP buffer is stable at room temperature for at least 6 months. SARS-CoV-2 RNA (65 copies/200 μL sample) is stable in the VIP buffer at room temperature for at least 3 weeks. The on-site inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and preservation of the viral RNA enables self-collection of samples, reduces risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and maintains the stability of the target analyte.