Comparison of nasopharyngeal aspirate and nasal swab specimens for detection of respiratory syncytial virus in different settings in a developing country

Abstract

Using NS samples was associated with a 27-31% reduction in sensitivity compared with NPA specimens. As NPAs are costly and considered a nuisance by the population, it might be cost-effective in larger epidemiological studies to lose 25-30% in sensitivity but be able to collect samples from a much larger population.