National sample collection stored at NPC – The COVID-19 Library

NPC is hosting long-term storage of SARS-CoV-2 samples in a national sample collection, collected during the pandemic in collaboration with Biobank Sweden and the different Swedish regions. All received samples are logged and registered in our system, known as the COVID-19 library. Throughout the pandemic operations at NPC, different pipelines have fed samples into the library, including studies and research (April 2020 – current) as well as qPCR diagnostics (April – December 2020) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2 (February 2021 – current) as part of NPCs national tasks under agreement with Folkhälsomyndigheten (Public Health Agency of Sweden). A few regions also send samples solely for storage in this national collection.

This collection comprises COVID-19 diagnostic swab samples (nasal swabs and throat swabs) from the majority of Swedish Regions. Throughout the period, the weekly number of incoming samples and regions of origin have varied, depending on the pandemic situation and demands for analyses. The collection currently holds around 1.5 million samples, hosted at NPC KI and legally owned by the Regional Biobanks. All samples in the collection are heat inactivated primary samples.

In collaboration with SciLifeLab, the sample collection at NPC is published digitally within the sample collection register at COVID-19 Data Portal Sweden.