Development of at-home sample collection logistics for large-scale seroprevalence studies
<h4>Background</h4> Serological studies rely on the recruitment of representative cohorts; however, such efforts are specially complicated by the conditions surrounding the COVID19 pandemic. <h4>Methods</h4> We aimed to design and implement a fully remote methodology for cond...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Language: | EN |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/c8a76ee339634757acc8faf17a1c60f5 |
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| Summary: | <h4>Background</h4> Serological studies rely on the recruitment of representative cohorts; however, such efforts are specially complicated by the conditions surrounding the COVID19 pandemic. <h4>Methods</h4> We aimed to design and implement a fully remote methodology for conducting safe serological surveys that also allow for the engagement of representative study populations. <h4>Results</h4> This design was well-received and effective. 2,066 participants ≥18 years old were enrolled, reflecting the ethnic and racial composition of Massachusetts. >70% of them reported being satisfied/extremely satisfied with the online enrollment and at-home self-collection of blood samples. While 18.6% reported some discomfort experienced with the collection process, 72.2% stated that they would be willing to test weekly if enrolled in a long-term study. <h4>Conclusions</h4> High engagement and positive feedback from participants, as well as the quality of self-collected specimens, point to the usefulness of this fully remote, self-collection-based study design for future safer and efficient population-level serological surveys. |
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