Why in news?

Recently, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, has developed an indigenous ‘Nasopharyngeal Swabs’.

About Nasopharyngeal Swabs

• It is developed for collecting samples from the throat cavity of COVID-19 patients.
• It is a medical device with stringent specifications of quality, polymer grade, dimensions and sterilization.
• It consists of a cylindrical plastic stick with a brush-like tip of synthetic bristles/flocks.
• The specifications included medical-grade materials that must be used for manufacture, the swab design and the packaging and sterilization protocols.

Source: PIB