Drive-through testing sites. Walk-in clinics. Rapid tests at hospitals. With COVID cases on the rise and the holidays approaching, individuals are flocking to various testing sites across the country. And, of course, the frontline workers administering these tests are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure that they remain safe throughout the process.

Ideally the system for sample collection would inactivate live viruses prior to SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care (POC) tests. So, are you ready for some good news — a bit of holiday cheer — amidst all this anxiety and gloom?

A recent study published in “Viruses,” revealed that not only did Copan’s eNAT™ inactivate high levels of SARS-CoV-2, but it did so particularly fast — within two minutes of exposure to the transport medium.  Copan’s eNat™ was recently fast-tracked for clearance by the FDA for Flu A RNA stabilization.  The sample collection and transport system also has implied use for COVID samples as well.

“This is a good study that specifically shows the utility of eNAT™ in inactivating COVID-19 very quickly,” said Copan Scientific Director Susan Sharp.

In the study, Evaluation of Commercially Available Viral Transport Medium (VTM) for SARS-CoV-2 Inactivation and Use in Point-of-Care (POC) Testing, which was published and released on October 23, 2020,  researchers tested  eNAT™ along with other transport systems  to determine the “viricidal activity of commercially available VTMs to inactivate SARS-CoV-2.”

The study demonstrated that Copan’s eNAT™ successfully inactivated the SARS-CoV-2 virus, >1 x 10⁷ copies/mL specifically, and was compatible with POC processing. This immediate inactivation of the virus, prior to specimen processing, drastically improves testing safety since it eliminates the chance that infected droplets are generated and therefore reduces the need for additional personal protective equipment (PPE), Sharp explained.

If a spill does occur when handling SARS-CoV-2 it’s recommended that labs use a solution with 70% alcohol for decontamination. One caveat is that eNAT™ is not compatible with instruments that use bleach, such as the Hologic Panther or Panther Fusion systems, unless the lab deactivates the disinfecting step involving bleach.

Knowing that eNAT ™ renders SARS-CoV-2 powerless not only improves the health and safety of our frontline workers but it also opens the door for more developing countries to expand the availability of COVID-19 POC testing.

And killing this deadly virus on the spot is probably the best holiday story you’ll hear this season.

eNAT™ is a versatile system that combines the Copan-invented FLOQSwab^® with 1 mL Guanidine-thiocyanate based medium that stabilizes the RNA and DNA of Viruses, Bacteria, Chlamydia, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Mycoplasma. The specimen collection and transport device is optimized for molecular assays and is FDA cleared for Flu A.