Abstract Background The role of rapid testing has proven vital in reducing infection incidence in communities through swift identification and isolation of infected individuals.The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly catastrophic for residential carceral and rehabilitation facilities that are high-risk settings for transmission of contagious diseases.Centralized provider-based viral testing employing conventional diagnostic techniques is labor-intensive and time-consuming.There is a marked unmet need for quick, inexpensive, and simple viral testing strategies.We hypothesized Womens Shirts that rehabilitation residents could successfully test themselves employing inexpensive, disposable, antigen-based influenza lateral-flow tests and would be willing to self-isolate and self-report to health authorities if positive.
Methods We evaluated self-testing among 50 rehabilitation residents ages 18 and older in Pomona, California, where participants self-administered influenza lateral-flow diagnostic test (without specimen collection) with the goal of appropriately observing a control line and completed two brief written surveys on self-testing and COVID-19, one before self-administering the lateral-flow test and one after, to determine the overall feasibility of viral self-testing and to characterize attitudes comparing self-testing and provider-based testing.Findings A total of 50 rehabilitation residents were enrolled in this study and all 50 conducted a lateral-flow test and answered the provided surveys.Among the participants, 96% (48 of 50) achieved a positive-control line from their lateral-flow test.Most participants, 83% (34 of 41) indicated that they would prefer to perform their own rapid test instead of having a Hats health care provider administer the test.Notably, 98% (49 of 50) indicated that they would self-isolate if the lateral-flow test returned a positive indicator suggesting the presence of a viral infection and 96% (48 of 50) would report positive results to their corresponding public health department.
Interpretation Residents in a residential rehabilitation center were widely able to successfully self-administer standard lateral-flow antigen-based rapid diagnostic kits.Self-testing was strongly preferred over tests administered by a healthcare provider.Reassuringly, almost every resident indicated that they would report any positive test result to the health department and self-isolate accordingly.Self-testing offers a promising adjunct to centralized testing, potentially better enabling swift and effective management of life-threatening infectious outbreaks among those living in high-risk congregate living settings.