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Parent-Collected Nasal Swab for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Testing in Children
Lorenzo Lodi1,2, Chiara Rubino3, Maria Moriondo2
1From the Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence and Meyer Children's University Hospital.
Insights
Non-healthcare worker parents can effectively administer unsupervised nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing in children, performing similarly to healthcare professionals. This finding supports wider home-based testing accessibility for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Diagnostic testing methodologies
- Public health surveillance
Background:
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection requires accessible diagnostic methods.
- Parental involvement in pediatric healthcare is crucial, especially during widespread outbreaks.
- Previous studies have focused on healthcare professional-administered testing, limiting understanding of home-based capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of non-healthcare worker parents in performing unsupervised nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection in hospitalized children.
- To compare the performance of non-healthcare worker parents with that of healthcare workers in administering nasal swabs.
- To assess the feasibility of utilizing written instructions and video tutorials for parental guidance in SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study design was employed.
- Participants included children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Parents (both healthcare and non-healthcare workers) were instructed via written materials and video tutorials to perform unsupervised nasal swabs on their children.
Main Results:
- Non-healthcare worker parents demonstrated comparable performance to healthcare workers in administering unsupervised nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
- Adherence to instructions and video tutorials facilitated successful swab administration by parents.
- No significant differences were observed between the two groups in the quality of sample collection.
Conclusions:
- Non-healthcare worker parents are capable of accurately performing unsupervised nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing in children.
- Instructional materials like written guides and videos are effective in enabling parents to conduct diagnostic tests at home.
- This study supports the expansion of unsupervised, home-based COVID-19 testing for children, enhancing accessibility and reducing healthcare burden.
Abstract:
This cross-sectional study, including children hospitalized for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, demonstrates for the first time that nonhealthcare worker parents perform similarly to healthcare workers in the administration to their children of an unsupervised nasal swab for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection by following written instructions and video tutorials.
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