Background & objectives: The oropharyngeal (OP) and nasopharyngeal (NP) swab samples are the most recommended clinical specimens for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in an individual through the quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) method. The primary objective of this study was to compare the performance of NP and OP swabs for the diagnosis of COVID-19 among 2250 concomitant samples (1125 NP + 1125 OP) using rRT-PCR test. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in southern India. The study compared the specificity and efficacy of the two samples (NP & OP swabs) in 1125 individuals suspected having COVID-19 infection. The rRT-PCR values from all the samples were compared based on gender, age group and viral load. The differences between unmatched proportion and matched proportion were analysed. Agreement between the two methods was assessed using Kappa statistic. Absolute sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) for OP and NP swabs were analysed. Results: The study identified a fair degree of agreement between OP and NP swabs in diagnosis of COVID-19 (kappa = 0.275, P <0.001). There was also a fair degree of agreement between NP and OP swabs irrespective of gender, age or duration of symptoms. NP swabs had better sensitivity and NPV as compared to OP swabs, however, specificity and PPV were 100 per cent for both. Interpretation & conclusions: The present study showed that both OP and NP swabs had similar sensitivity and specificity for predicting the presence of SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Due to a better understanding of the disease process, surgical workshops, conferences, and better patient awareness, the trend of Ear Nose Throat (ENT) related surgeries has changed significantly over the years. Aim: To analyse the profile of various ENT-related elective surgeries performed over three years in a tertiary care centre. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in the Department of ENT, in a tertiary care centre, North Kerala, India. Patients of both sexes and of all age groups who underwent elective ENT surgeries in the Department from January 2017- December 2019 were included in the study. Data analysis was done from 1/12/2020 to 1/6/2021 period. Emergency surgeries were excluded from the study. Data was collected from hospital records and analysed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: A total of 2895 patients underwent various major and minor procedures in the period of January 2017 to December 2019 in the study institute. The majority of procedures were tympanomastoid surgeries (n=896, 30.94%), which were followed by sinonasal surgeries including advanced endoscopic surgeries (n=670, 23.14%), tonsilloadenoid surgeries (n=550, 18.98%) and excision of various solid and cystic lesions from head and neck region (n=310, 10.70%). The remaining number contributed by various other procedures like laryngeal surgeries (n=99, 3.4%) and other miscellaneous procedures (n=370, 12.78%) which include preauricular sinus excision, punch biopsies, tongue tie release, styloidectomy, excision of rhinosporidiosis from nose and nasopharynx, nasal bone fracture reduction and young’s operation. Conclusion: The most common elective procedures performed in the study period were tympanomastoid surgeries. In the present study, there was an increasing trend of all major and minor surgeries in the department in subsequent years.