def METHOD_NAME(sample_metadata_collection: SampleMetadataCollection,
                                  input_file: str,
                                  comment=io_consts.default_comment_char,
                                  delimiter=io_consts.default_delimiter_char) -> List[str]:
    """Reads sample coverage metadata from a .tsv file and adds them to `sample_metadata_collection`.
    Args:
        sample_metadata_collection: collection to which the coverage metadata is to be added
        input_file: input sample coverage metadata .tsv file
        comment: comment character
        delimiter: delimiter character
    Returns:
        list of samples in the same order as encountered in `input_file`
    """
    coverage_metadata_pd = io_commons.read_csv(input_file,
                                               dtypes_dict=io_consts.sample_coverage_metadata_dtypes_dict,
                                               comment=comment,
                                               delimiter=delimiter)
    contig_list = [str(column_name) for column_name in coverage_metadata_pd.columns]
    contig_list.remove(io_consts.sample_name_column_name)
    num_contigs = len(contig_list)
    sample_names = []
    for tup in zip(coverage_metadata_pd[io_consts.sample_name_column_name],
                   *(coverage_metadata_pd[contig] for contig in contig_list)):
        sample_name = tup[0]
        n_j = np.asarray([int(tup[k + 1]) for k in range(num_contigs)], dtype=types.big_uint)
        sample_metadata_collection.add_sample_coverage_metadata(SampleCoverageMetadata(
            sample_name, n_j, contig_list))
        sample_names.append(sample_name)
    return sample_names