Specimen collection and handling

What you'll learn

1. 1

   Imagine you're a healthcare scientist. A patient has a sore throat — you need to collect a sample to find out why.

2. 2

   Why is it important to collect a sample without touching anything else?

3. 3

   Here's a swab in its sterile packaging. It's sealed until you're ready to use it.

4. 4

   Let's walk through collecting a throat swab step by step.

5. 5

   Now you try — drag the steps into the correct order for collecting a throat swab.

6. 6

   What should you do IMMEDIATELY after taking a swab?

7. 7

   Once the sample is collected and labelled, it's sent to the lab for testing. The lab scientists look for bacteria or viruses.