How do you preserve a throat swab specimen?

To preserve a throat swab specimen, it should be collected using a sterile swab and immediately placed in a suitable transport medium, such as a viral transport medium (VTM) or bacterial culture swab. It's essential to keep the specimen at a cool temperature, ideally in a refrigerator (2-8°C), to prevent degradation of the sample. Additionally, the specimen should be transported to the laboratory as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours, to ensure accurate testing results. If transport is delayed, freezing the specimen may be an option, depending on the tests to be performed.