Home-based, self-administered tests for influenza are comparable in accuracy to rapid diagnostic tests in clinical settings, according to a study reported in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance.
“Home tests are a valuable tool to support the management of influenza and other respiratory infections,” explained senior author Matthew J. Thompson, professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
“The tests facilitate earlier diagnoses and reduce the time from the onset of symptoms to patients seeking appropriate care,” he said.
More than 600 residents in the Seattle area participated in the 2020 study conducted between February and the end of May. Participants received influenza testing kits in the mail. After swabbing their noses, they either recorded the results through an app, or returned the kits to the lab of Lea Starita, assistant professor of genome sciences at the UW School of Medicine and a study co-author.
The researchers found that self-test’s sensitivity and specificity test were comparable with those of influenza rapid diagnostic tests used in clinical settings. They noted that false-negative results were more common when the self-test was administered after 72 hours of the appearance of symptoms, but were not related to inadequate swab collection or severity of illness.
“This study underscores the imperative of expanding access to testing and lowering the costs,” said Barry Lutz, associate professor of bioengineering and another co-author of the paper.
Source: UW Medicine
