Does swab depth matter? study tests 2 cm vs 4 cm for COVID-19 detection
NCT ID NCT07597889
First seen Jun 27, 2026 ยท Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a shallow (2 cm) or deeper (4 cm) nasal swab is better at detecting COVID-19 using rapid antigen tests. Over 300 adults in Denmark each received both swab depths, and results were compared to a standard throat PCR test. The goal was to find the best balance between accuracy and comfort.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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317 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2023
- Finished
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Feb 2023
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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16 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Citizens, aged 16 years or older, showing up for a SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test at Testcenter Valby in Copenhagen, Denmark Exclusion Criteria: * non-fluent in Danish * citizens with nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal anomalies (e.g. neck breathers with tracheostomy)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Rigshospitalet
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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