This study showed that a modified supine position combined with protective face screen to collect samples for RT-PCR is worth promoting, as it seems to be better tolerated and may yield better samples.

This study compared a modified nasopharyngeal swab sampling for COVID-19 to the traditional sitting position method were. The comparator was a supine position method+protective face screen where, when collecting a sample, the patient lay flat and wore a special protective face screen, with his or her neck slightly extending and face turned to the opposite side of the operator.

They measured patient cooperation, nausea, coughing, sneezing, and struggling; the operation time of single sampling; fear and the perceived exposure risk of operators. The positive rates of PCR by the two sampling methods were also analyzed.

The cooperation score of patients in the supine position method+protective face screen group was significantly higher than that in sitting position method group. All other subjective measures were improved in this position as well. The positive rate of PCR was also higher in the modified position (60%) than in the sitting position (42%). Comfort scores were also higher.