Cotton tipped plastic swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR diagnosis to prevent supplies shortage.

Nasopharyngeal sampling protocols for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis guidelines only recommend synthetic fiber swabs. We show that simple and cheap cotton tipped plastic swabs do not inhibit PCR and have equivalent performance to rayon swabs. Cotton tipped plastic swabs are massively produced worldwide and would prevent swabs supplies shortage during current high SARS-CoV-2 testing demands, particularly on developing countries.