Confirming swine flu: swab testing

As the number of cases of A (H1N1) rises fast, a room in the basement of Mater Dei Hospital is buzzing with activity as swabs from patients suspected to be suffering from the virus are processed and fast tracked to the laboratory. The swabs are taken...

As the number of cases of A (H1N1) rises fast, a room in the basement of Mater Dei Hospital is buzzing with activity as swabs from patients suspected to be suffering from the virus are processed and fast tracked to the laboratory.

The swabs are taken from the back of the patients' throats after inserting a special cotton bud through the nose.

Christopher Barbara, chairman of the Pathology Department, explains the process from there (see video clip above).

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