Comparison of Mid-Turbinate and Nasopharyngeal Specimens for Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Among Symptomatic Outpatients at a Pediatric Drive-Through Testing Site.

Background: Nasopharyngeal (NP) specimen testing by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the standard of care for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Data comparing the sensitivity and specificity of the NP specimen to the less invasive, mid-turbinate (MT) nasal specimen in children are limited.

Methods: Paired clinical NP and research MT specimens were collected from children <18 years with respiratory symptoms and tested by molecular assays to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA.