UnitedHealth says self-swabbing study spurred FDA coronavirus policy change

The earlier guidelines for COVID-19 swab testing in the U.S. required healthcare professionals to take samples from the nasopharynx, which is located at the back of the nasal cavity, or from the back of the throat. Nasopharyngeal specimens were, and remain, FDA’s preferred type of samples for tests for the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that is causing the COVID-19 outbreak. However, in cases when a nasopharyngeal specimen is not available, the guidelines state it is now “acceptable” for tests to be done on specimens taken from the front part of the nostril and middle of the nasal cavity, locations which are known as anterior nares and mid-turbinate in anatomy. FDA and CDC updated their guidance early this week without explaining the decision. According to UnitedHealth, the change was underpinned by data it generated from nearly 500 patients treated at facilities run by its OptumCare subsidiary in Washington state.