Saline Viral Transport Tube: A Means to Improve Supply
In this blog entry, the use of phosphate buffered saline as an alternative to viral transport media for the transport of COVID-19 virus samples. These alternatives offer the ability for hospitals and physicians to combat the lack of testing supplies available as the virus continues to spike in states around the country.
There has been extensive coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began, including daily updates on the number of cases, number of deaths, and the continued lack of available testing supplies. The shortage of testing supplies is of particular interest because, without the necessary supplies, we cannot test the general population to determine the actual disease prevalence. Supplies include things such as swabs for specimen collection and sterile tubes filled with some form of viral or universal transport media (VTM or UTM), which are in short supply around the world.
Fortunately, there are companies working in tandem with the FDA to find alternative methods to stabilize and transport samples safely. The FDA has recommended the use of phosphate buffered saline (PBS), in instances where typical transport media is not available, as an acceptable alternative to stabilize specimens within the transport tubes being sent to the lab for subsequent testing during this emergency situation. These transport tubes also allow for storage for up to 72h at 4°C. This means of transport will vastly improve the access to testing because PBS is more readily available than media.
Manufacturers, like Greiner Bio-One, are able to transition production from blood collection tubes to PBS-filled, sterile tubes on a large scale to help reduce the shortage of specimen collection supplies for molecular testing, which remains the recommended method for diagnosis of COVID-19. Access to supplies such as the VACUETTE® Viral Stabilization Tube will help to alleviate some of the barriers to testing for SARS-CoV-2 that laboratories are experiencing. As the manufacturing of test methods and the necessary supplies increases, and more people are able to be tested, the United States will be one step closer to containing this pandemic.
About the Virus Stabilization Tube
VACUETTE® Virus Stabilization Tubes are intended for the transport and storage of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens. The product is to be used by healthcare professionals for SARS-CoV-2 testing only. VACUETTE® Virus Stabilization Tubes are made of PET with a pre-defined volume of a phosphate buffer saline solution at a pH of 7.4±0.2 to allow for the storage of the SARS-CoV-2 swab specimens for up to 72h at 4°C. The tubes are fitted with VACUETTE® Safety Caps. The tube interior is sterile. The product is single use only and can be used on a single patient only.
For further information regarding the Virus Stabilization Tube or to inquire into purchasing this item, please contact us at [email protected] to be connected with your Account Manager. Additional products that are available for testing, transport, and vaccine development are listed on the COVID-19 Product Resources Page.
