Pilot study of participant-collected nasal swabs for acute respiratory infections in a low-income, urban population

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of study population and relationship between demographic characteristics and positivity or negativity of a self-swab with a corresponding positive research swab

Characteristics	Agreed to participate N=30 n (%)	Received self–swab N=29 n (%)	Research swab positive N=18 n (%)	Self-swab positive N=15 n (%)	Self-swab negative N=3 n (%)	P-value
Age group of person swabbed (years)
<5	6 (20.0)	6 (20.0)	5 (27.8)	5 (33.3)	0 (0.0)	0.42
5–17	9 (30.0)	9 (31.0)	6 (33.3)	5 (33.3)	1 (33.3)
≥18	15 (50.0)	14 (48.3)	7 (38.9)	5 (33.3)	2 (66.7)
Sex (person obtaining swab)
Female	25 (83.3)	24 (82.8)	16 (88.9)	13 (86.7)	3 (100.0)	0.50
Male	5 (16.7)	5 (17.2)	2 (11.1)	2 (13.3)	0 (0.0)
English proficiency of person obtaining swab
Limited	20 (66.7)	19 (65.5)	11 (61.1)	9 (60.0)	2 (66.7)	0.83
Born in the USA (person obtaining swab)
No	24 (80.0)	23 (79.3)	13 (72.2)	10 (66.7)	3 (100.0)	0.64
Education (person obtaining swab)
≤ High school	15 (50.0)	14 (48.3)	9 (50.0)	8 (53.3)	1 (33.3)	0.67
Some college	8 (26.7)	8 (27.6)	6 (33.3)	5 (33.3)	1 (33.3)
College graduate	7 (23.3)	7 (24.1)	3 (16.7)	2 (13.3)	1 (33.3)
Swab collection
Self	–	–	–	5 (33.3)	2 (66.7)	0.66
Parental	–	–	–	10 (66.7)	1 (33.3)
Days (packet delivered to received)
≤7	–	–	–	7 (46.7)	2 (66.7)	0.52
>7	–	–	–	8 (53.3)	1 (33.3)

Note: Limited English proficiency: self-reported as fair, poor, or no proficiency.

Table 2 Laboratory-confirmed acute respiratory infections/influenza-like illness

Respiratory pathogen	Research swab N=29 n (%)	Self-swab N=29 n (%)
No virus detected	11 (37.9)	14 (48.3)
Virus detected	18 (62.1)	15 (51.7)
Virus type
Influenza A H1N1 (2009 strain)a	8 (44.4)a	7 (46.7)b
Coronavirus HKU1	5 (27.8)	5 (33.3)
Respiratory syncytial virus	2 (11.1)	2 (13.4)c
Rhinovirus/enterovirus	2 (11.1)	1 (6.7)
Coronavirus 229E	1 (5.6)	0 (0.0)

Notes:

a One influenza self-swab was not received by mail;

b two corresponding self-swabs received were positive for influenza A, but not subtypable, likely due to low viral load;

c one self-swab detected a coinfection with parainfluenza that was not captured by the research team.