COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market 2020 and Forecast 2021-2027

                                          
Report Overview: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market


The global COVID-19 sample collection kits market size was valued at USD 1.7 billion in 2020 and looks set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.8% from 2021 to 2027. An exponential rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and inadequate laboratory-based molecular testing capacity are factors that have encouraged several companies to develop rapid and easy-to-use tests, which boosts the market growth. Furthermore, approval of synthetic swabs for use in the diagnosis of coronavirus infection and the subsequent increase in its production are expected to drive the market.


In April 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of spun synthetic swabs that are similar to Q-tips swabs designed for COVID-19 testing. This approval allows patients to self-collect samples and minimize potential exposure to healthcare professionals. Furthermore, U.S. Cotton, one of the key manufacturers of cotton swabs in the U.S., is engaged in developing polyester swabs at a large scale to effectively address the growing need for COVID-19 diagnostic testing.

The collection of samples is the most integral step in the laboratory diagnosis of several infectious diseases including coronavirus infection. Improper and inaccurate sample collection may lead to false or negative test results. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a standard sample collection procedure for specimen collection and transport with regard to SARS-CoV-2 testing. These regulatory guidelines have helped in streamlining the usage of COVID-19 sample collection kits.

As COVID-19 diagnostic testing continues to scale-up, several studies are being conducted to investigate different sample collection approaches that yield accurate results. A research study found that saliva samples collected from patients with the infection provide better detection sensitivity and consistency than the widely-used nasopharyngeal approach. It was also observed that there was low variability in results obtained using saliva samples, which is expected to expand their penetration of this approach in the future.

The COVID-19 outbreak has severely affected supplies of Viral Transport Media (VTM) due to the high demand for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing worldwide. Governments of several countries as well as various companies are rapidly scaling-up VTM production to address the challenges in coronavirus testing. Recently, COPAN Diagnostics optimized its production line to fulfill the large volumes of orders. On the other hand, the Federal Emergency Management and FDA are working with various suppliers to address the demand for VTM.



Product Insights: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market

The swabs segment is anticipated to lead the COVID-19 sample collection kits market and account for around 40.0% share in terms of revenue in 2020. The PCR technique, which involves the collection of genetic material using a Q-tip nasal swab, is regarded as a gold standard for COVID-19 testing. This, in turn, drives the adoption of different types of swabs at a large scale, resulting in maximum revenue share of the swabs segment.

Key companies have adopted several strategic models to accelerate the production and supply of swabs for COVID-19 testing, which drives the segment at a lucrative rate. For instance, in May 2020, Puritan Medical Group partnered with Bath Iron Works, the U.S. shipyard, to increase its swab production capacity by twofold. The latter company is manufacturing a wide array of specialized machines that help Puritan increase its swab production from 20 million to 40 million per month.

The VTM segment accounts for a significant revenue share, as this media is a key component in testing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals. Demand for VTM is continuously increasing with the rise in the number of coronavirus cases. Furthermore, robust protocols recommended by WHO and CDC with regard to the manufacture of VTM allow laboratories and institutes to boost their production and address the global shortage of VTM, thereby driving the segment.

Site of Collection Insights: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market

Hospitals and clinics segment is estimated to account for the largest revenue share of 95.6% in 2020 due to an increased need for testing of coronavirus infection in communities. Government and local regulatory bodies are engaged in enhancing patient admission capacities at hospitals, increasing the number of medical professionals, and making diagnostic tests and ventilators available for management of the COVID-19 crisis. This is expected to result in a high sales volume of specimen collection solutions within the hospital and clinical settings.

Moreover, with an increase in the number of coronavirus cases, several private hospitals have geared up to tackle this crisis. For instance, an Indian chain of healthcare network, Max Healthcare, started admitting coronavirus-affected patients for quarantine since March 2020. It provides treatments in specially designated isolation wards. With this initiative, private hospitals aim at helping the government fight against the global pandemic, consequently driving the segment growth.

The home test segment is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR with the FDA approval of the first COVID-19 home test in April 2020. It enables the individual to collect a sample at home and prevent disease transmission. The Pixel by LabCorp is a real-time reverse transcription PCR test that detects the presence of SARS-CoV-2. This product approval is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for effective testing in home care settings.

Application Insights: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market

The diagnostic application segment is expected to account for a maximum revenue share of 70.2% in 2020. This can be attributed to continuous approvals of molecular diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2. Various diagnostic tests have different requirements pertaining to swabs and transport media. For instance, DiaSorin S.p.A’s Simplexa COVID-19 Direct Test uses nasopharyngeal swabs in around 3 mL of BD Viral Transport Media or COPAN Universal Transport Media.
Supportive government regulations and investments to encourage the development of efficient COVID-19 diagnostic methods are expected to fuel the segment growth. As reported in March 2020, the United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) provided USD 598,000 to QIAGEN and USD 679,000 to DiaSorin Molecular for the development of their respective diagnostic tests. The development of rapid diagnostic tests is expected to address the large-scale demand for COVID-19 testing.

The research segment accounts for low penetration in the global market in terms of revenue generation. However, a number of research studies are being conducted to analyze the incidence rate and spread of coronavirus infection, examine the effectiveness of various diagnostic tests, and evaluate various transport mediums and swabs, which is expected to drive the segment growth. The availability of funds for research studies further boosts the revenue generation in this segment.

Regional Insights: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market

Europe is estimated to dominate the market and account for around 35% revenue share in 2020. A large number of coronavirus cases in the European region along with high volume of swabs tested in Germany contribute to a large share. Germany leads other countries, such as the U.K. and France, in terms of testing volume. In Germany, 132 laboratories carried out an average of 116,655 swab tests per day in the fourth week of April 2020, adding up to approximately 1.3 million tests. This high volume of testing assists the nation to slow down the spread of coronavirus and the associated death rate. The confluence of these factors results in high uptake of medical sterile swabs and specimen collection kits in Europe.

On the other hand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period due to efforts undertaken by home-grown companies to expand their offerings, such as the introduction of improved sample collection kit by Singapore-based Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd in March 2020, to overcome the impact of COVID-19. In addition, government bodies have been proactive in disease management in the region. For instance, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) introduced COVSACK (COVID Sample Collection Kiosk), a COVID-19 sample collection booth, as a measure to mitigate the reliance of healthcare professionals on Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs), thereby driving the regional revenue share.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market

Key participants are constantly accelerating the production and supply of specimen collection kits. The volume of swabs arriving from COPAN Diagnostics, Italy, in the U.S. is continuously increasing. Around 6 tons of swabs were imported in March 2020 and 4.5 tons of swabs in January 2020 from COPAN to the U.S. ports. On the other hand, Quest Diagnostics has distributed around 2 million swab collection kits in the U.S. as reported until May 2020.
Moreover, a substantial number of companies from other domains are engaged in helping the government overcome the shortage of medical sterile swabs. As reported in May 2020, Royal DSM, a health, nutrition, and materials company, entered the swab manufacturing market to combat the shortage of specimen collection products in the Netherlands. This is the first time the company is generating swabs to meet the nation’s testing needs. The company is also donating 11 tons of material required for swab production in the country. Some of the prominent players in the COVID-19 sample collection kits market include:

Key companies Profiled: COVID-19 Sample Collection Kits Market Report

 	
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
 	
Puritan Medical Products
 	
 COPAN Diagnostics
 	
Becton, Dickinson and Company
 	
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
 	
Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd.
 	
Hardy Diagnostics
 	
BNTX Inc.
 	
Formlabs
 	
Medline Industries, Inc.
 	
HiMedia Laboratories
 	
VIRCELL S.L.

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2020 to 2027. For the purpose of this study & based on the data available as of April 2020, Trusted Business Insights has segmented the global COVID-19 sample collection kits market report on the basis of product, application, site of collection, and region:

Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 - 2027)

 	
Swabs
 	
Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs
 	
Oropharyngeal (OP) swabs
 	
Others
 	
Viral Transport Media
 	
Blood Collection Kits
 	
Other Consumables

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 - 2027)

 	
Diagnostics
 	
Research

Site of Collection Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 - 2027)

 	
Hospitals & Clinics
 	
Home Test