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. 2022 Mar 9;17(3):e0264085.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264085. eCollection 2022.

Specimen self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing: Patient performance and preferences-Atlanta, Georgia, August-October 2020

Kevin O'Laughlin  1   2 , Catherine C Espinosa  1 , Sarah E Smith-Jeffcoat  1 , Mitsuki Koh  1 , George M Khalil  1 , Adam Hoffman  3   4 , Paulina A Rebolledo  4 , Marcos C Schechter  3   4 , Rebekah J Stewart  1 , Juliana da Silva  1 , Caitlin Biedron  1 , Bettina Bankamp  1 , Jennifer Folster  1 , Amy S Gargis  1 , Michael D Bowen  1 , Ashley Paulick  1 , Yun F Wang  3   4 , Jacqueline E Tate  1 , Hannah L Kirking  1 ; CDC Surge Diagnostic Testing Laboratory; CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response GA-10 Field Team
Affiliations

Specimen self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing: Patient performance and preferences-Atlanta, Georgia, August-October 2020

Kevin O'Laughlin et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Self-collected specimens can expand access to SARS-CoV-2 testing. At a large inner-city hospital 1,082 participants self-collected saliva and anterior nasal swab (ANS) samples before healthcare workers collected nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples on the same day. To characterize patient preferences for self-collection, this investigation explored ability, comfort, and ease of ANS and saliva self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing along with associated patient characteristics, including medical history and symptoms of COVID-19. With nearly all participants successfully submitting a specimen, favorable ratings from most participants (at least >79% in ease and comfort), and equivocal preference between saliva and ANS, self-collection is a viable SARS-CoV-2 testing option.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Saliva (A) and anterior nasal swab (B) self-collection instructional sheet handed to participants at Grady Memorial Hospital—Atlanta, GA, August–November 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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