Comparison of a Blood Self-Collection System with Routine Phlebotomy for SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing
Wixted et al.
The finding, in our words
In a pilot study of 100 adults, 70 per cent collected an adequate capillary blood sample using the Tasso-SST device, and among those with an adequate sample results showed high concordance with routine phlebotomy for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, supporting the use of this self-collection system in decentralised diagnostics.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
In a cohort of 62 participants evaluating home self-collection with the TassoPlus device, 38 returned samples, with 29% excluded due to insufficient plasma volume below 200 ΔL. Although viral load measurements in adequate samples correlated well with conventional testing (r = 0.800), the high failure rate and missed detection in low-volume viremic samples indicate that further technical refinements are necessary before clinical adoption.
Capillary blood self-collected with the VAMS device showed 100 per cent agreement with serum for detecting SARS-CoV-2 S RBD antibodies in participants with known past infection, and saliva showed slightly lower but high agreement; agreement was good to almost perfect in those without known antibodies, and most participants found finger prick easy while half found the microsampler easy, supporting decentralised serosurveillance.
In 30 adult solid organ transplant recipients, capillary blood self-collected using the Tasso+ device showed 91% concordance with venous samples for detecting CMV DNAemia above the limit of detection, with excellent quantitative correlation (Spearman R² = 0.99). Most participants preferred self-collection over venipuncture, suggesting the device could enable decentralised viral monitoring, though sensitivity was lower (95% at 308 IU/mL).
Capillary blood self-testing using the Hem-Col device demonstrated excellent correlation (r=0.992) and perfect agreement (kappa=1) with venous blood for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Feasibility was markedly lower in participants aged 65 or more, who successfully collected the recommended volume in 62.5% of cases versus 86.2% in younger adults, suggesting older people need additional support such as telephone guidance or assistance from family for home-based sampling to be reliable.
Baggio et al., Practical laboratory medicine · source ↗
Capillary blood self-sampling achieved 98.3% agreement with venous samples for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and 100% for IgA among 60 participants, demonstrating accuracy for vaccine monitoring. Saliva self-collection proved feasible with excellent usability, offering a patient-centric alternative for decentralised immunogenicity assessment.
Schmetzer et al., Frontiers in public health · source ↗