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Students in the ICU: In a corona test, the swab goes pretty deep into your nose

Students in the ICU: In a corona test, the swab goes pretty deep into your nose

Elmer Smaling

11 May 2020

Students in the ICU

In the vlog, student and test subject Demi undergoes the corona test. The cotton swab disappears ‘quite deep’ into her nose, thankfully the test is over in no time. After taking the sample, the tests are entered into the administration.

Then the tubes arrive at the lab. “We take the liquid out and put it in a plastic tube, which we put in the freezer. In addition, we have tubes containing a blue medium, the so-called lysis buffer. This completely destroys the virus so that it becomes suitable to perform a PCR test on it.”

Virologist Corine Geurts van Kessel explains what a PCR test is: “We will ‘reprocess’ the material to see if it contains genetic material from the virus. But at Erasmus MC we want to do more: we’ll look at whether the virus can replicate itself and whether it can infect cells. To do this, we need cells that are sensitive to the virus. We apply material from the cotton swab to these cells, and then see how well the virus can grow on them. If we do, we’ll colour the material and look at it under the microscope.”

Watch Merve's previous vlog

Students in the ICU: Why do corona patients often lie on their stomachs?
Gepubliceerd op: 29 April 2020
- Students in the ICU
Article type: Video

During the corona crisis, medical students are working in Erasmus MC’s intensive care unit, where many corona patients are treated. Every week Merve Rousian, Britt Hoeven and Jasper Klasen vlog about their experiences in the ICU. Overview of all episodes >>