A prospective diagnostic evaluation of accuracy of self-taken and healthcare worker-taken swabs for rapid COVID-19 testing.
Helen R SavageLorna FinchRichard BodyRachel L Watkinsnull nullnull nullGail HaywardEloïse CookAna Isabel Cubas-AtienzarLuis E CuevasPeter MacPhersonEmily R AdamsPublished in: PloS one (2022)
In conclusion, self-taken swabs for COVID-19 testing offer an accurate alternative to healthcare worker taken swabs for use with RDTs. Our results demonstrate that, with no training, self-taken throat/nasal samples can be used by lay individuals as part of rapid testing programmes for symptomatic adults. This is especially important where the lack of trained healthcare workers restricts access to testing.