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 conduct...
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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/f5ef2104cf83464b924d96e27066eac0 |
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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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