COVID-19

During Office Hours

Mr. Rajesh Kumar Gupta
(9801069383)

If sample brought after regular office hours (09:00 am to 04:00 pm), contact:

Mr. Dinesh Thapa Magar
(9886128922)

Mr. Naresh Thapa Magar
(9803152149)

Specimens of choice are upper or lower respiratory specimens which include:

1. Nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal aspirates or washes.
2. Nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs.
3. Broncheoalveolar lavage.
4. Tracheal aspirates.
5. Sputum.

Procedure to collect orophryngeal swab (Throat swab)

1. Ask the subject to open his or her mouth wide open.
2. Depress the tongue.
3. Swab the posterior pharynx behind the tonsils with one applicator swab stick.
4. Avoid the tonsils
5. Place the swabs immediately into sterile tubes containing 2-3 ml of viral transport media and break the applicator stick.
6. If second applicator swab is available in the same packet, use it to collect nasal swab.
7. Put both swab stick in the same VTM tube.

Sample Collection for COVID19(SARS-CoV-2) and Influenza Virus

Specimen Collection Methods

1. Collect specimen in VTM.
2. Arrange for transportation in a way the sample is received at NPHL within 24 hrs.
3. Store collected specimen at 2 - 4° C (refrigerator) till ready for transportation.
4. NEVER STORE THE SAMPLE AT FREEZER COMPARTMENT(-20° C) as it may degrade the sample quality.
5. Transport specimen in 3 layer packaging system maintaining cold chain. (2-4° C) ( refer to sample packaging section for packaging)
6. Submit specimen with appropriate form fill up issued by EDCD and NPHL.
7. Submit the specimen to influenza sample collection room at NPHL.( ground floor of BSL-3 Laboratory)
8. If sample brought after regular office hours (09:00 am to 04:00 pm), contact:
   Mr. Dinesh Thapa Magar
   (9886128922) Mr. Naresh Thapa Magar
   (9803152149)  
   Who reside inside NPHL premises and are available 24 hrs

Sample packaging:

1. Layer 1- Put VTM with specimen in zip lock bag.
2. Layer 2- place the zip lock bag in air tight container lined with absorbent material(cotton).
3. Layer-3- place this air tight container in ice box/vaccine box with ice pack in all four corners.

Sample will be rejected if :

1. Sample is transported without maintaining cold chain.
2. Sample is received without proper form fill up.
3. Unlabelled sample.

Sample processing flow chart( for influenza/novel corona)

WHO periodically updates the Global Surveillance for human infection with coronavirus disease (COVID19) document which includes case definitions.

Suspect case

1. A patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND with no other etiology that fully explains the clinical presentation AND a history of travel to or residence in a country/area or territory reporting local transmission (See situation report) of COVID-19 disease during the 14 days prior to symptom onset.
2. A patient with any acute respiratory illness AND having been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID- 19 case (see definition of contact) in the last 14 days prior to onset of symptoms;
3. A patient with severe acute respiratory infection (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease (e.g., cough, shortness breath) AND requiring hospitalization AND with no other etiology that fully explains the clinical presentation.

Probable case

A suspect case for whom testing for COVID-19 is inconclusive. • Inconclusive being the result of the test reported by the laboratory

Confirmed case

A person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms.