Nylon flocked swab

We collected exposure, sociodemographic, and clinical data at enrollment through review of electronic medical records and a directed caregiver questionnaire conducted by telephone. We recorded symptoms occurring up to 14 days prior to enrollment. Research staff conducted follow-up questionnaires by phone for all participants 7 days after study enrollment to document new symptoms and healthcare encounters. For participants with ongoing symptoms 7 days after study enrollment, additional questionnaires were administered 14 and 28 days after enrollment, or until the participant reported complete symptom resolution. We recorded the results of SARS-CoV-2 testing performed for clinical care. Research staff collected nasopharyngeal swabs from participants who consented to a home visit. Participants who declined a home visit received a kit for self-collection of a mid-turbinate nasal swab. Nasopharyngeal and nasal samples were collected with nylon flocked swabs (Copan Italia, Brescia, Italy) into RNAProtect (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany).

Seabirds that became moribund or died on beaches or at breeding colonies in SA were collected by members of the public, managing conservation authorities, rehabilitation centres and Veterinary Services (Roberts et al., 2022 ). For this study, whole bird carcases or tissue samples transported in cool boxes with frozen ice packs were submitted to the Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Laboratory (WCPVL). Some moribund birds were received and were humanely euthanized shortly after arrival. In total, samples from 49 individual birds were received for testing. All were coastal seabirds, apart from a raptor—a single Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus). Post‐mortem findings included poor body condition, green diarrhoea, enlarged livers and severe lung congestion. Brain, oropharyngeal and cloacal swab samples were collected using nylon flocked swabs (Copan Diagnostics Inc., Murrieta, CA, USA). Swab samples were also taken from the internal contents (i.e. the mixed allantoic–amniotic fluids within each egg) of four abandoned Swift Tern eggs collected at a breeding site at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town where large numbers of bird deaths due to HPAI were recorded.

The Duke Biospecimens from RespirAtory Virus-Exposed Kids (BRAVE Kids) Study is a prospective cohort study of children, adolescents, and young adults (<21 years of age) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or close contact with an individual with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, as previously described [4 ]. Exposure, sociodemographic, and clinical data are collected at enrollment, and we record symptoms occurring up to 14 days prior to and 28 days after study enrollment. Nasopharyngeal samples are collected with nylon flocked swabs (Copan Italia, Brescia, Italy) and placed into RNAProtect (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) prior to storage at −80°C. Participants are classified as SARS-CoV-2 infected if the virus is detected in either a clinical or research polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. For the analyses presented herein, we considered SARS-CoV-2–infected individuals to have respiratory symptoms if they reported cough, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat, or anosmia at any point between 14 days prior to enrollment through 28 days after enrollment.