key: cord-0904143-rqtyjzz3
authors: Wanna, George B.; Schwam, Zachary G.; Kaul, Vivian F.; Cosetti, Maura K.; Perez, Enrique; Filip, Peter; Kandel, Avi; Paniz-Mondolfi, Alberto; Govindaraj, Satish; Genden, Eric M.
title: COVID-19 sampling from the middle ear and mastoid: A case report
date: 2020-06-02
journal: Am J Otolaryngol
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102577
sha: a540d46ae1a30fb9ef15911b34c2f774c5f1742e
doc_id: 904143
cord_uid: rqtyjzz3

nan

Cobas 6800 (Basel, Switzerland) 2 SARS-CoV-2 testing platforms and were found to both be negative. These two assays have different targets, with the Genmark assay examining the presence of nucleocapsid regions N1-3 and the Roche assay interrogating for the presence of ORF1/a, a non-structural region unique to the specific coronavirus, and a conserved envelope protein present in all sarbecovirus variants.

While we present data from a single patient, this is the first known report of COVID-19 testing from the middle ear and mastoid. Due to the patient's postsurgical mastoid cavity, this tissue was readily available for sampling. We found concordance between the middle ear, mastoid, and nasopharyngeal specimens across two testing platforms at a single point in time.

While certainly informative for the otolaryngology community, pediatricians, internists, emergency room physicians, and audiologists stand to benefit. More investigation is needed prior to making definitive recommendations on middle ear/mastoid manipulation in the COVID-19positive patient.

There was concordance between middle ear, mastoid, and nasopharyngeal specimens across two testing platforms in this previously COVID-19-positive patient.

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