The Library
1530 papers on microsampling and monitoring, each with a finding paraphrased to our standard and labelled in one vocabulary. Every entry links to a legitimate copy; nothing is copied from an abstract.
Papers 101–200 of 238 labelled “serology”, newest first.
2022
Self-collected saliva on cotton showed substantial agreement with nasopharyngeal sampling for detecting SARS-CoV-2, achieving a kappa of 0.79. This supports decentralised screening in resource-limited settings without requiring trained staff.
Alternative SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol from self-collected saliva for mass diagnosis and epidemiological studies in low-incoming regions — de Oliveira et al., Journal of virological methods
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
In 1580 paired samples from children aged 3–17 years, saliva self-collection detected SARS-CoV-2 with 84.6% sensitivity compared with nasopharyngeal swabs, and identified eight infections missed by swabs alone. This less invasive approach offers a feasible alternative for decentralised diagnosis of COVID-19 in paediatric populations.
Salivary testing for SARS-CoV-2 in the pediatric population: a diagnostic accuracy study — Hua et al., CMAJ open
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- pediatric
- serology
2022
Self-collected saliva showed moderate sensitivity of 84.8% and high specificity of 98.2% for COVID-19 RT-PCR, with higher accuracy in symptomatic individuals. This supports saliva as a convenient, resource-sparing alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs for decentralised infectious-disease screening.
The diagnostic accuracy of RT-PCR from self-collected saliva versus nasopharyngeal sampling: A systematic review and meta-analysis — Kim et al., Saudi medical journal
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Saliva microsampling by self-collection at home, returned by mail without refrigeration, achieved 95.8% sensitivity and 92.4% specificity for anti-spike IgG at 2-4 weeks after PCR diagnosis, matching serum test performance. This patient-centric approach offers a scalable framework for decentralised SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance, with multiplex testing for endemic coronaviruses to flag samples needing retest.
Saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 serology using at-home collection kits returned via mail — Campbell et al., Scientific reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
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.
Feasibility of home-based ELISA capillary blood self-testing for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies — Baggio et al., Practical laboratory medicine
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- self-collection
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- serology
2022
In an unvaccinated adult cohort in British Columbia, at-home self-collected dried blood spots showed an overall SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity of 2.92%, with higher rates in participants identifying as visible minorities (5.1% vs 2.6%). After adjustment for age and sex, identifying as a visible minority remained the only significant factor associated with antibody detection. This demonstrates the feasibility of decentralised dried blood spot sampling for population serosurveys and highlights inequities that inform public health planning.
Seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 in an unvaccinated cohort in British Columbia, Canada: a cross-sectional survey with dried blood spot samples — Racey et al., BMJ open
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2022
The study found comparable seropositivity for Chlamydia trachomatis and Toxoplasma gondii among male partners of infertile couples in Odisha, with 28 per cent showing anti-Chlamydia IgA and 28 per cent anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. This demonstrates that first-void urine and seminal fluid can detect relevant infections, supporting their use in decentralised fertility screening programmes.
Seropositivity of <i>Chlamydia trachomatis & Toxoplasma gondii</i> among male partners of infertile couples in Odisha, India: A facility-based exploratory study — Naik et al., The Indian journal of medical research
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- serology
- sti
2022
Direct RT-PCR testing of raw saliva by two assays showed strong agreement with nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection in 615 symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, with 51 of 52 TaqPath-positive saliva samples also positive by a second saliva assay and 49 concordant results against the swab-based reference, supporting saliva self-collection as a scalable, noninvasive alternative for population-scale diagnostic testing.
Clinical Performance of Direct RT-PCR Testing of Raw Saliva for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Individuals — Castillo-Bravo et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- liquid
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Self-collected saliva swabs showed 84.5% agreement with nasopharyngeal RT-PCR within seven days of symptom onset, and almost 500,000 saliva RT-PCR tests were performed on staff in quarantine hotels with a 0.004% positivity rate, supporting frequent, tolerable surveillance testing in high-risk settings.
Surveillance testing using salivary RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 in managed quarantine facilities in Australia: A laboratory validation and implementation study — Jenney et al., The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
In a Senegalese validation study of 192 infant samples, the Xpert HIV-1 Qual and m-PIMA HIV 1/2 Detect point-of-care assays showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for HIV-1 detection with both dried blood spots and whole blood, achieving perfect agreement with reference laboratory methods. This supports decentralised early infant diagnosis in resource-limited settings, reducing turnaround time and improving linkage to care.
Validation of the point-of-care (POC) technologies Xpert HIV-1 Qual and m-PIMA HIV 1/2 detect for early diagnosis of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in Senegal — Ndoye et al., The Pan African medical journal
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- validation
- pediatric
- serology
2022
Dried blood spot sampling achieved 99% overall assay accuracy with sensitivities from 87.5% to 100% and specificities above 99.2% across vulnerable remote, occupational and clinical groups, enabling decentralised HCV diagnosis with virtually painless capillary collection.
Feasibility of dried blood spot for hepatitis C diagnosis in vulnerable subjects and people living in remote areas from Brazil — Villar et al., BMC infectious diseases
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- validation
- serology
2022
Among 1,082 participants, self-collection of saliva and anterior nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing was highly feasible with near-universal specimen submission, and at least 79% rated the process favourably for ease and comfort. With no clear preference between saliva and nasal swabs, the study supports both as viable options for decentralised infectious disease screening.
Specimen self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing: Patient performance and preferences-Atlanta, Georgia, August-October 2020 — O'Laughlin et al., PloS one
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
2022
The SSf-COVID19 kit using self-collected saliva showed high sensitivity and specificity for detecting SARS-CoV-2, making it a reliable option for decentralised diagnostics. This supports the use of patient-centric microsampling in clinical settings where access to phlebotomy or nasopharyngeal swabbing is limited.
Clinical application of the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test device and SSf-COVID19 kit for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection — Oh et al., BMC research notes
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Paired saliva and nasopharyngeal swab samples from 299 individuals in Nigeria showed 67% positive agreement and 97% negative agreement for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR detection, with positive and negative predictive values of 69% and 96% respectively. The findings support drooling saliva as a self-collectable alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs for mass COVID-19 testing, reducing exposure risk and cost while enabling decentralised sampling.
Saliva sample for detection of SARS-CoV-2: A possible alternative for mass testing — Salu et al., PloS one
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Self-collected saliva had lower sensitivity than pharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 RT-PCR and showed only fair agreement, yet it detected additional positive cases and can be used alongside pharyngeal swabs to increase case detection in decentralised settings.
The role of saliva PCR assay in the diagnosis of COVID-19 — Abdollahi et al., Journal of infection in developing countries (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Dried blood spot sampling achieved high sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection with strong correlation to paired serum, enabling virtually painless, decentralised specimen collection in community and remote settings where venepuncture is difficult.
Evaluation of serological assays for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing from dried blood spots collected from cohorts with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection — Catlett et al., Journal of clinical virology plus
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2022
A capture ELISA on dried blood spot eluates detected SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM with 97.9% sensitivity and 99.2% specificity compared with serum, showed strong correlation (r=0.81), and remained stable even when samples were deliberately rendered inadequate or accidentally damaged; all vaccine recipients were seropositive, supporting the use of DBS self-sampling for decentralised seroprevalence studies and post-vaccine response monitoring.
Simple, sensitive, specific self-sampling assay secures SARS-CoV-2 antibody signals in sero-prevalence and post-vaccine studies — Khan et al., Scientific reports
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2022
Dried blood spots collected from 272 community participants were successfully analysed for dengue, scrub typhus and leptospirosis IgG, yielding seroprevalences of 7.0%, 4.0% and 5.9% respectively and providing the first evidence of scrub typhus and leptospirosis transmission in Timor-Leste; DBS offers a practical, decentralised approach for integrated serological surveillance with minimal additional fieldwork costs.
Integrated serological surveillance of acute febrile illness in the context of a lymphatic filariasis survey in Timor-Leste: a pilot study using dried blood spots — Arkell et al., Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- validation
- serology
2022
A two‑tier decentralised testing strategy using self‑collected saliva pools detected SARS‑CoV‑2 with higher sensitivity than a commercial IVD RT‑qPCR test and enabled identification of asymptomatic cases at lower cost.
RT-qPCR-based tests for SARS-CoV-2 detection in pooled saliva samples for massive population screening to monitor epidemics — Różański et al., Scientific reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- economics
- serology
2022
Among 1040 Polish healthcare workers tested before vaccine availability, 25.2% were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a two-step protocol of capillary blood rapid screening followed by venous confirmation. This demonstrates capillary sampling as a feasible approach for decentralised infectious disease surveillance in occupational health settings.
Healthcare workers highly affected during the COVID-19 epidemic wave in Poland prior to vaccination availability: seroprevalence study — Rosińska et al., Medycyna pracy (paywalled)
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- serology
2022
Among asymptomatic individuals with gonorrhoea, 71.3% of infections were pharyngeal and 23.1% rectal, with only 4.7% genital. The study evaluated culture recovery from self-collected first-void urine and swabs, demonstrating that decentralised screening must address extragenital sites to enable antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae culture growth rates from asymptomatic individuals with a positive nucleic acid amplification test — Nadal-Baron et al., Letters in applied microbiology (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- serology
- sti
2022
Self-collected dried blood spots enabled a mail-based SARS-CoV-2 serology survey among university affiliates, demonstrating practical feasibility but highlighting challenges in remote recruitment, supply chain constraints, potential sample bias and policy barriers to returning results. Key lessons include the need for clear participant instructions, robust logistics, household data linkage and on-call clinical support to ensure successful decentralised diagnostics.
Optimizing the implementation of a participant-collected, mail-based SARS-CoV-2 serological survey in university-affiliated populations: lessons learned and practical guidance — Cramer et al., BMC public health
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
2022
Saliva self-collected by children within minutes of eating showed reduced SARS-CoV-2 detection for over half of foods tested, but a 20-minute waiting period restored accurate results in nearly all cases. This provides evidence that fasting is unnecessary for decentralised viral testing, offering a practical protocol for home collection.
Food for thought: Eating before saliva collection and interference with SARS-CoV-2 detection — Hernandez et al., Journal of medical virology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- pediatric
- serology
2022
A cross-sectional survey of 1,087 men who have sex with men in Jiangsu province, China found a syphilis prevalence of 6.3% and chlamydia prevalence of 4.2%, with higher odds among those recruited online and with recent STI diagnosis. The use of first-void urine for nucleic acid amplification testing demonstrates the utility of decentralised sampling for STI screening in high-risk populations.
Prevalence of syphilis and chlamydia trachomatis infection among men who have sex with men in Jiangsu province, China: A cross-sectional survey — Hu et al., Frontiers in public health
- urine
- first-void
- serology
- sti
2022
Dried blood spot testing achieved high acceptability among Métis community members in a culturally tailored pilot. Participants valued the ease of self-collection, the reduction of logistical barriers and stigma through event-based delivery, and the provision of Métis-specific services, suggesting that community-centred microsampling can expand HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening in decentralised diagnostics.
Assessing the acceptability of dried blood spot testing for HIV and STBBI among Métis people in a community driven pilot project in Alberta, Canada — Landy et al., BMC health services research
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
- sti
2022
Saliva shows promise as a patient-friendly alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 diagnosis, particularly for decentralised testing, though variability in collection and processing methods affects sensitivity. Standardising protocols could improve reliability and support wider use in decentralised diagnostics.
Saliva as an alternative specimen to nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 diagnosis: Review — McPhillips & MacSharry, Access microbiology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- serology
2022
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.
Comparison of a Blood Self-Collection System with Routine Phlebotomy for SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing — Wixted et al., Diagnostics
- blood
- capillary
- self-collection
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- serology
2022
Fifty-one per cent of racially and ethnically diverse gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men returned at least one self-collected specimen, blood, urine, pharyngeal or rectal swabs, or hair, within six weeks when offered for remote HIV and STI screening and pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence testing; most specimens were adequate for laboratory processing. Non-return was associated with lower education, employment, and lower HIV/STI knowledge and concern, indicating that while self-collection is feasible for decentralised diagnostics, targeted engagement strategies are needed.
Study Evaluating Self-Collected Specimen Return for HIV, Bacterial STI, and Potential Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Adherence Testing Among Sexual Minority Men in the United States — Sharma et al., American journal of men's health
- blood
- urine
- self-collection
- serology
- sti
2022
In a Ugandan cohort, 96% of participants successfully collected at least 16 of 24 requested at-home dried blood spots, with strong correlation (R=0.93) between parasite RNA detected in self-collected spots and venous blood. The method was well tolerated, indicating self-collected DBS can reliably support decentralised malaria surveillance in endemic settings.
Feasibility of community at-home dried blood spot collection combined with pooled reverse transcription PCR as a viable and convenient method for malaria epidemiology studies — Hergott et al., Malaria journal
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- pediatric
- serology
2022
Morning self-collection of saliva and nasal swabs produces significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 viral loads than evening collection, which translates to improved detection rates especially for tests of low to moderate analytical sensitivity. This timing strategy offers a simple, low-cost enhancement to diagnostic sensitivity for decentralised and home-based COVID-19 testing.
Morning SARS-CoV-2 Testing Yields Better Detection of Infection Due to Higher Viral Loads in Saliva and Nasal Swabs upon Waking — Viloria Winnett et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- serology
2022
Saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 testing enables patient self-collection and reduces resource burden compared with swab methods, making it suitable for decentralised surveillance in low- and middle-income countries. The paper identifies a critical gap between demonstrated effectiveness and real-world implementation, calling for targeted research to overcome regulatory and operational barriers.
Saliva-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 testing in low- and middle-income countries — Tan et al., Bulletin of the World Health Organization
- saliva
- self-collection
- serology
2022
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.
Self-collection of capillary blood and saliva to determine COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and health professionals — Schmetzer et al., Frontiers in public health
- blood
- saliva
- liquid
- capillary
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- serology
2022
PfLDH-detecting rapid tests evaluated in Ethiopian field settings achieved only 69 to 72% sensitivity and 36 to 38% specificity against PCR and immunoassay. This suboptimal performance challenges their suitability for decentralised malaria diagnosis, especially where HRP2 gene deletions require alternative antigen targets.
Field performance of Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase rapid diagnostic tests during a large histidine-rich protein 2 deletion survey in Ethiopia — Feleke et al., Malaria journal
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- serology
2022
Among 92 patients on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, 79.3 per cent returned home-collected kits comprising dried blood spots, urine, and oropharyngeal swabs. Nearly 87.7 per cent were extremely to moderately satisfied with avoiding clinic visits, and mean turnaround fell from 17 to 5 days, showing self-collection is a feasible, patient-centric model for decentralised sexual health and SARS-CoV-2 screening.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Home-Collected Samples for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Preexposure Prophylaxis and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Laboratory Tests in San Francisco Primary Care Clinics — Saberi et al., Open forum infectious diseases
- blood
- urine
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
- sti
2022
In Chicago neighbourhood pairs with markedly different COVID-19 case rates, self-collected dried blood spots showed similar anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity, indicating comparable prior exposure and suggesting that social determinants and comorbidities drive the observed disparities in case rates.
Geographic disparities in COVID-19 case rates are not reflected in seropositivity rates using a neighborhood survey in Chicago — Mustanski et al., Annals of epidemiology
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2022
An in-house RT-qPCR primer set demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 compared with WHO and CDC primers across sputum, nasopharyngeal and saliva specimens. Sputum provided the highest sensitivity, while self-collected saliva outperformed oropharyngeal samples, supporting specimen choice as a critical factor for accurate decentralised COVID-19 testing.
Accuracy of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction in COVID-19 Patients — Lawrence Panchali et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Self-collected saliva and anterior nares swabs showed slightly lower sensitivity than nasopharyngeal swabs but were acceptable alternatives for symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 testing and surveillance, especially with increased sampling frequency in asymptomatic individuals.
Viral RNA Load and Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in Paired Respiratory and Oral Specimens from Symptomatic, Asymptomatic, or Postsymptomatic Individuals — Tallmadge et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Dried blood spots collected by fingerprick at home produced SARS-CoV-2 antibody results comparable to plasma or serum in ELISA and commercial assays, reliably detecting responses months after infection and tracking post-vaccination kinetics in a community survey across 12 cities. This demonstrates that self-collected DBS enable longitudinal serosurveillance without phlebotomy, supporting their use in decentralised diagnostics when venous sampling is impractical.
Development and Implementation of Dried Blood Spot-Based COVID-19 Serological Assays for Epidemiologic Studies — Wong et al., Microbiology spectrum
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2022
The review found saliva to be a non‑invasive, well‑tolerated specimen for SARS‑CoV‑2 detection that enables home self‑sampling, thereby protecting healthcare workers from exposure. It concluded that salivary diagnostics could offer a rapid, cost‑effective approach for early COVID‑19 screening, but further research is needed to establish reliability.
Salivary diagnostics of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) — Michailidou et al., Oral diseases (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Self-collected saliva tested with a rapid, connected RT-LAMP assay showed 85.9% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 compared with RT-qPCR, supporting its use for ambulatory screening and enabling connected reporting to health authorities.
Performances of rapid and connected salivary RT-LAMP diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 infection in ambulatory screening — Schneider et al., Scientific reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
A fully remote home-testing model using dried blood spot self-collection and nasal swabs enrolled over 10,000 adults and achieved high retention, but demographic inequities emerged, indicating that remote trials can scale research and improve accessibility while requiring intensive participant support and robust technology to maintain engagement and data quality.
Feasibility and lessons learned on remote trial implementation from TestBoston, a fully remote, longitudinal, large-scale COVID-19 surveillance study — Naz-McLean et al., PloS one
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- dct
- serology
2022
Self-collected dried blood spot samples showed 98.1% categorical agreement with venous serum and professional dried blood spot samples showed 100% agreement, enabling at-home serology with robust shipping stability and interference testing.
Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using dried blood spot for at-home collection — Miesse et al., Scientific reports
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2022
TB-MBLA testing of OMNIgene-stabilised stool detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis with 80% sensitivity and 79% specificity against sputum culture in 100 adults, offering a viable alternative for patients unable to produce sputum. The RNA-based assay quantified bacterial load, showing higher burdens in HIV-co-infected individuals, while stool cultures suffered 21-26% contamination rates.
High Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacillary Loads Detected by Tuberculosis Molecular Bacterial Load Assay in Patient Stool: a Potential Alternative for Nonsputum Diagnosis and Treatment Response Monitoring of Tuberculosis — Musisi et al., Microbiology spectrum
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- serology
2022
Self-collected saliva samples detected an extra 12% of SARS-CoV-2 infections that were missed by routine clinician-collected nasopharyngeal swabs, suggesting saliva can improve case finding in contact tracing. Antigen tests agreed well with reference methods only in early symptomatic individuals, indicating that timing and symptom status critically affect test accuracy in decentralised settings.
Limitations of Molecular and Antigen Test Performance for SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic COVID-19 Contacts — Robinson et al., Journal of clinical microbiology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
In a general population study, self-performed nasal rapid antigen testing demonstrated higher sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 than saliva testing (68.9% versus 46.7%), with both tests showing 99% specificity. The nasal test sensitivity rose to 83.9% when considering viral load thresholds for infectiousness, and participants found both tests easy to perform, supporting decentralised screening strategies while highlighting that saliva-based self-testing is insufficiently reliable for clinical use.
Head-to-head comparison of the accuracy of saliva and nasal rapid antigen SARS-CoV-2 self-testing: cross-sectional study — Schuit et al., BMC medicine
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
Saliva testing for SARS-CoV-2 achieved 88% sensitivity and 92% specificity against nasopharyngeal swabbing in a meta-analysis of 16 studies. This level of accuracy supports patient self-collection and decentralised screening in outpatient and community settings.
The diagnostic accuracy of saliva testing for SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review and meta-analysis — Atieh et al., Oral diseases (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2022
The Tasso OnDemand device was well accepted by participants, with nearly all finding it easy to use and feeling confident they could self-sample at home, and paired self-collected and clinician-collected specimens showed high agreement for HIV, syphilis and creatinine tests. While most users collected enough serum for two monitoring tests, only a third produced sufficient volume for three tests, suggesting a larger-volume device may be preferable for full guideline-recommended PrEP monitoring.
Feasibility of a novel self-collection method for blood samples and its acceptability for future home-based PrEP monitoring — Cannon et al., BMC infectious diseases
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- self-collection
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- serology
- sti
2022
Generic saliva self-collection devices enabled safe unsupervised home sampling that yielded adequate quantity and quality for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene detection, with stability maintained after temperature cycling to simulate summer and winter shipping. This supports a patient-centric decentralised approach to infectious-disease screening without requiring healthcare professionals.
Evaluation of saliva self-collection devices for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics — Allicock et al., BMC infectious diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- serology
2021
Fully remote, home-collected fingerstick Mitra VAMS samples from 54 participants measured IgG/IgA/IgM against spike and nucleocapsid across seven coronaviruses, cleanly separating pre-pandemic, convalescent and vaccinated groups, supporting VAMS for at-home serosurveillance.
Antibody-mediated immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and human coronaviruses: multiplex beads assay and VAMS to generate immune-repertoire cartography — Wang et al., Frontiers in Immunology
- blood
- dried
- vams
- neoteryx-mitra
- serology
- self-collection
2021
This review found that decentralised, patient-centric home microsampling using Mitra devices is an effective alternative for COVID-19 serosurveillance and clinical trials, enabling high-quality self-collection without clinic visits.
Volumetric absorptive microsampling: its use in COVID-19 research and testing — Rudge, Bioanalysis
- blood
- dried
- vams
- neoteryx-mitra
- serology
- self-collection
- validation
2021
Fingerstick plasma collected in Microtainer tubes showed 100% concordance with matched venous plasma on the Abbott ARCHITECT SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay, n=109. Fingerstick dried blood spots found high concordance with venous samples, n=61, supporting these microsampling methods for decentralised serology.
Expanding access to SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM serologic testing using fingerstick whole blood, plasma, and rapid lateral flow assays — Anderson et al., Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- dbs
- bd-microtainer
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Capillary blood self‑collection with the Tasso‑SST device succeeded in over 93 % of attempts and produced SARS‑CoV‑2 IgG results that agreed closely with venous blood, maintaining 98.9 % overall accuracy after simulated summer and winter shipping. This supports reliable, decentralised serology testing without medical supervision.
Self-collection of capillary blood using Tasso-SST devices for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody testing — Hendelman et al., PloS one
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
A Simoa immunoassay detected SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in venous and capillary blood and saliva with 98% negative and 90% positive agreement versus molecular testing across symptomatic, asymptomatic and pre‑symptomatic PCR‑positive individuals in days 1–7; N‑protein levels fell as spike‑IgG rose and correlated with saliva RT‑PCR Ct values and between matched saliva and capillary samples, enabling non‑invasive, swab‑independent sample collection for at‑home or point‑of‑care use.
N-protein presents early in blood, dried blood and saliva during asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection — Shan et al., Nature communications
- blood
- saliva
- liquid
- capillary
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
WHotLAMP detected SARS-CoV-2 in saliva with sensitivity down to approximately four viral particles per microlitre. The test is inexpensive, requires no toxic chemicals or specialised equipment, and can be performed in point-of-care settings or adapted for home use, enabling frequent screening for outbreak control.
WHotLAMP: A simple, inexpensive, and sensitive molecular test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva — Ng et al., PloS one
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
A laboratory-developed RT-PCR test using self-collected saliva specimens achieved 75% sensitivity and 98% specificity compared with nasopharyngeal swab methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Saliva samples showed cycle threshold values 4.7 cycles higher than nasopharyngeal specimens, confirming that viral loads are detectable albeit lower, which supports saliva as a viable alternative sample type for decentralised diagnostics.
Performance Accuracy of a Laboratory-Developed Real-Time RT-PCR Method for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Self-Collected Saliva Specimens — Hata et al., Annals of clinical and laboratory science (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Remote SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing using self-collected dried blood spots proved feasible in decentralised trials, with 56% of consenting participants returning usable samples and 95% successfully completing self-collection despite pandemic logistical challenges. The agglutination-PCR method showed 83% concordance with ELISA, but mail delays and sample degradation complicated analysis and reduced data quality.
Feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing in Remote Outpatient Trials — Lofgren et al., Open forum infectious diseases
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- dct
- serology
2021
Microsampling enables remote, contactless self-collection for Covid-19 serology and therapeutic drug monitoring, reducing infection risk and clinical staff burden while maintaining accuracy through validated assays. This supports decentralised clinical trials and population-level surveillance during a pandemic.
Microsampling: A role to play in Covid-19 diagnosis, surveillance, treatment and clinical trials — Rajadhyaksha & Londhe, Drug testing and analysis (paywalled)
- blood
- self-collection
- validation
- tdm
- dct
- serology
2021
The authors implemented a fully remote outpatient trial of hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis in 54 household COVID-19 contacts using self-collected saliva for SARS-CoV-2 RNA PCR testing and a smartphone-based six-lead ECG system for remote cardiac monitoring, with 42 participants completing the study and no serious treatment-related adverse events. The trial numbers were too small to assess prophylactic efficacy, but the experience demonstrates that decentralised enrolment, home diagnostic sampling and remote monitoring can be rapidly deployed in a community health system, while noting that lack of internet access excluded some potential participants.
The future is now: our experience starting a remote clinical trial during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — Liu et al., Trials
- saliva
- self-collection
- dct
- serology
- rpm
- multimodal
2021
Dried blood spot specimens collected at home without medically trained personnel showed agreement with conventional venous blood when analysed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, with stable antibody readouts over more than 200 days of dry dark storage and consistent results in individuals tested twice within 10 months post-infection.
Detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dried blood spots utilizing manual or automated spot extraction and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) — Knoop et al., Analytical science advances
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Capillary dried blood spot samples analysed with the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay on COBAS 6000 systems agreed with paired serum results in 98.9% of cases and remained accurate at 86.7% after 9 days, supporting their use for decentralised COVID-19 serosurveillance and large-scale screening.
Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from dried blood spot samples with the Roche Elecsys Immunochemistry method — Fontaine & Saez, Practical laboratory medicine
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
In 17 nursing home residents, anterior nasal swabs detected SARS-CoV-2 most often in the first ten days after diagnosis, while saliva and oropharyngeal swabs remained PCR-positive longer (up to 48 days). Only nasal and oropharyngeal specimens yielded replication-competent virus, suggesting saliva's prolonged positivity represents residual RNA, which matters for decentralised testing because using saliva could lead to unnecessary isolation if PCR detection occurs after active viral shedding has ceased.
A Comparison of Less Invasive Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Diagnostic Specimens in Nursing Home Residents-Arkansas, June-August 2020 — Gable et al., Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
- saliva
- validation
- serology
2021
A portable microfluidic cartridge achieved direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 from self-collected saliva at 1000 copies/mL without RNA isolation, integrating sample heating, primer mixing and multiplex qPCR into an automated sample-to-result workflow. This removes the need for clinic-based collection and laboratory processing, enabling rapid decentralised testing during a pandemic.
A Sensitive, Portable Microfluidic Device for SARS-CoV-2 Detection from Self-Collected Saliva — Yang et al., Infectious disease reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- serology
2021
In a Berlin homeless shelter, weekly self-collection of saliva or nasal/oral swabs for COVID-19 PCR achieved 89–94% retention over three weeks, but required 48 person-hours per round and repeated assistance. Residents found nasal/oral swabs easier than saliva, and language barriers were the main obstacle to participation. This shows that decentralised screening in vulnerable populations is feasible but demands flexible, supported protocols and resource planning.
Monitoring for COVID-19 by universal testing in a homeless shelter in Germany: a prospective feasibility cohort study — Lindner et al., BMC infectious diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
2021
Patient-collected midturbinate nasal swabs matched provider-collected nasopharyngeal swabs with 100% sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while saliva showed 96.8% sensitivity; pretreating saliva with proteinase K eliminated invalid results. These findings validate self-collection for decentralised infectious disease screening.
Evaluation of Self-Collected Midturbinate Nasal Swabs and Saliva for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA — Boerger et al., Journal of clinical microbiology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
A quantitative dried blood spot device (Capitainer qDBS) combined with the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay tracked anti-spike antibody development after two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with the second dose producing a roughly hundredfold stimulation that peaked at two weeks and fell to 65 percent by three months. The bias between plasma and DBS was variable across both a 14-volunteer vaccination cohort and a 200-patient clinical cohort, yet DBS proved sufficiently sensitive for prolonged immune-status monitoring without venous draws.
Use of Quantitative Dried Blood Spots to Evaluate the Post-Vaccination Level of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — Marchand et al., Life
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- qdbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Saliva self-collection achieved 97 per cent agreement with nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection in 128 paired specimens using CDC qPCR chemistry. In asymptomatic populations, saliva screening of 466 community participants yielded a 1.07 per cent positivity rate, nearly identical to the 1.12 per cent rate from 8,461 nasopharyngeal swabs in preoperative patients, supporting saliva as a noninvasive alternative for decentralised diagnostic programmes.
Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-Based Detection Using Saliva or Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens in Asymptomatic Populations — Fan et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Saliva self-collection with TRIzol extraction matched nasopharyngeal swab performance for SARS-CoV-2 detection while enabling room-temperature storage without specialised tubes, offering a lower-cost decentralised option suitable for large-scale screening programmes.
Development of an alternative saliva test for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 using TRIzol: Adapting to countries with lower incomes looking for a large-scale detection program — Miranda-Ortiz et al., PloS one
- saliva
- liquid
- self-collection
- validation
- economics
- serology
2021
Saliva RT-qPCR, RT-LAMP, spectroscopy and ELISA detect SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity in early infection and asymptomatic adults compared with nasopharyngeal swabs. Patient-centric self-collection guided by telemedicine reduces contagion risk for staff and enables decentralised screening, but the authors note that further clinical validation is still needed.
Evaluation of saliva as a complementary technique to the diagnosis of COVID-19: a systematic review — Sagredo-Olivares et al., Medicina oral, patologia oral y cirugia bucal
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
In asymptomatic adults, self-collected random oropharyngeal saliva detected SARS-CoV-2 more frequently than healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs (92.3% versus 73.8%). This supports saliva as a patient-centric specimen for decentralised COVID-19 surveillance, reducing healthcare worker exposure while improving detection rates.
COVID-19 screening test by using random oropharyngeal saliva — Rao et al., Journal of medical virology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Parent-collected nasal swabs from children with respiratory infections showed 91% sensitivity and excellent agreement with nurse-collected samples for detecting viral and bacterial pathogens by PCR, whereas parent-collected saliva swabs were substantially less sensitive at 69% for viruses and 78% for bacteria. This supports decentralised paediatric diagnosis using nasal self-sampling, reducing healthcare burden while maintaining accuracy.
Prospective Study of the Performance of Parent-Collected Nasal and Saliva Swab Samples, Compared with Nurse-Collected Swab Samples, for the Molecular Detection of Respiratory Microorganisms — Woodall et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- pediatric
- serology
2021
Home-collected dried blood spots were feasible for longitudinal HIV viral load monitoring among US MSM, with high return rates and most participants maintaining undetectable viral load across time points. This supports use of self-collected DBS as a decentralised approach to sustain viral suppression.
Longitudinal Viral Load Monitoring Using Home-Collected Dried Blood Spot Specimens of MSM Living with HIV: Results from a Feasibility Pilot Study — Teran et al., AIDS and behavior
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2021
Capillary blood collected by fingerstick with the Mitra volumetric absorptive microsampling device showed near identical sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies compared with venous serum when analysed with the Roche Elecsys assay. This validation enables decentralised, patient-centric serology testing for remote or at-home use and large-scale community seroprevalence studies.
Remote Fingerstick Blood Collection for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibody Testing — Garcia-Beltran et al., Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- vams
- neoteryx-mitra
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Saliva self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 detection showed 87.8% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity against nasopharyngeal swabs in 1220 patients, offering a patient-centric alternative with higher acceptability and virtually painless collection, though requiring sample fluidisation. Oral-self sampling swabs were preferred by most patients and also virtually painless, but the 61.1% sensitivity was too low for reliable decentralised diagnostics.
Performances, feasibility and acceptability of nasopharyngeal swab, saliva and oral-self sampling swab for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 — Plantamura et al., European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- serology
2021
Direct RT-qPCR on self-collected raw saliva detected SARS-CoV-2 with 95.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity; only 0.6% of 2709 samples were invalid, and the method processed up to 384 samples in under two hours, offering a rapid, scalable approach for community-wide screening.
Validation and implementation of a direct RT-qPCR method for rapid screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection by using non-invasive saliva samples — Brotons et al., International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
- saliva
- liquid
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Native saliva and gargle lavage demonstrated high diagnostic sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 at 92.8% and 89.1% respectively in self-collected samples from symptomatic adults. Nasal swabs achieved comparable results but proved difficult for 16.6% of participants, while tongue swabs and chewed cotton pads were significantly less sensitive, indicating saliva or gargle lavage are optimal for decentralised screening.
Self-Collected Samples to Detect SARS-CoV-2: Direct Comparison of Saliva, Tongue Swab, Nasal Swab, Chewed Cotton Pads and Gargle Lavage — Kohmer et al., Journal of clinical medicine
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Seroprevalence among Milan schoolchildren rose from 2.8% in September 2020 to 12.5% in January 2021, with an overall seroconversion rate of 10% and no difference between those attending school in person and those switched to remote learning, suggesting schools reflected rather than amplified community transmission.
Does school reopening affect SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school-age children in Milan? — Barcellini et al., PloS one
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- pediatric
- serology
2021
This review evaluates saliva, tears and exhaled breath as alternatives to nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 diagnosis, recommending optical spectroscopy and electronic nose techniques for rapid detection of viral biomarkers in these more readily accessible body fluids.
A review on human body fluids for the diagnosis of viral infections: scope for rapid detection of COVID-19 — Adigal et al., Expert review of molecular diagnostics (paywalled)
- saliva
- validation
- serology
2021
The study demonstrates a fully automated workflow for dried blood spot sample handling and extraction that recovers intact SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit, enabling minimally invasive at-home sampling without third-party involvement.
Fully automated dried blood spot sample handling and extraction for serological testing of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies — Gaugler et al., Drug testing and analysis (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2021
Pooled data from ten clinical studies show saliva detects SARS-CoV-2 with 87% sensitivity and 98% specificity. This supports saliva as a viable specimen for non invasive self collection in decentralised screening in workplaces, schools and homes.
Saliva Exhibits High Sensitivity and Specificity for the Detection of SARS-COV-2 — Warsi et al., Diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Among 174 symptomatic emergency room patients, self-collected saliva identified SARS-CoV-2 in 98% of those positive by nasopharyngeal swab, with excellent agreement (kappa 0.96). Saliva detected one additional pneumonia case and showed higher cycle threshold values, confirming its utility for decentralised infectious disease screening.
Self-collected saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection: A prospective study in the emergency room — Echavarria et al., Journal of medical virology (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Evidence from cross-sectional and clinical trial studies over the past year supports saliva as a viable matrix for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection, offering a non-invasive, self-collection method that can protect frontline staff and identify infections missed by nasopharyngeal swabs. This positions salivary testing as a key tool for decentralised, patient-centric COVID-19 screening.
One-Year Update on Salivary Diagnostic of COVID-19 — Caixeta et al., Frontiers in public health
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Dried blood spots collected by fingerstick from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent and vaccinated individuals showed strong correlation with paired plasma for antibody binding and neutralisation titres. This supports decentralised serology by enabling self-collection and ambient-temperature mailing and storage, overcoming the cold-chain requirements of venous sampling.
SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Binding and Neutralization in Dried Blood Spot Eluates and Paired Plasma — Itell et al., Microbiology spectrum
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Self-collected saliva tested by CLEIA achieved 98.2% concordance with RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection. A two-step screening strategy using initial CLEIA followed by confirmatory RT-qPCR for intermediate results would require secondary testing in 11-21% of samples, providing a scalable decentralised testing approach.
A novel strategy for SARS-CoV-2 mass screening with quantitative antigen testing of saliva: a diagnostic accuracy study — Yokota et al., The Lancet. Microbe
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Dried blood spots collected by finger prick from nursing home residents and staff showed sensitivities of 95.0–97.1% and specificities of 97.1–98.8% against venous blood for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, demonstrating reliable performance even in elderly people with reduced cutaneous microvasculature. This supports decentralised serosurveillance and post-authorisation vaccine studies because DBS can be obtained remotely and stored at room temperature.
Comparison of Dried Blood Spots and Venous Blood for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in a Population of Nursing Home Residents — Meyers et al., Microbiology spectrum
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Among 596 participants, self-collected saliva achieved 80.3% sensitivity and 99.4% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 compared with nasopharyngeal swabs. Saliva collected one to five days after symptom onset yielded 85.1% positivity, indicating it can support early diagnosis in low-resource and community settings.
Diagnostic Performance of Self-Collected Saliva Versus Nasopharyngeal Swab for the Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the Clinical Setting — Uddin et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Saliva swabs demonstrated 89.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity for influenza detection compared with nasopharyngeal swabs, with 97.6% overall agreement. Median cycle threshold values were significantly higher in saliva (33) than in NP specimens (31), yet saliva swabs remain a feasible specimen type that can be easily self-collected with minimal equipment and discomfort for decentralised influenza testing.
Use of Saliva Swab for Detection of Influenza Virus in Patients Admitted to an Emergency Department — Galar et al., Microbiology spectrum
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
The review summarises that dried blood spot analysis and hepatitis C self-test assays have demonstrated diagnostic value for screening in decentralised settings and remote populations, supporting WHO diagnosis targets. This matters for decentralised diagnostics by confirming microsampling methods can be used for infectious disease screening outside clinical facilities.
Hepatitis C Diagnosis: Simplified Solutions, Predictive Barriers, and Future Promises — Shahid et al., Diagnostics
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2021
Capillary blood self-sampling showed near-perfect agreement with venous sampling for SARS-CoV-2 IgG detection, achieving a Cohen's kappa of 0.88. Samples remained stable at room temperature for seven days, and 38 of 39 participants successfully collected adequate volumes, supporting its use for decentralised serological testing.
Self-sampling of capillary blood for SARS-CoV-2 serology — Brown et al., Scientific reports
- blood
- liquid
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
Self-sampled dried blood spots showed 99.20% sensitivity and 98.65% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 serology compared with venous sampling, and 99.87% of unsupervised home DBS cards were analysable, supporting DBS as a valid tool for large scale serosurveys and surveillance in resource limited settings.
A dried blood spot protocol for high throughput analysis of SARS-CoV-2 serology based on the Roche Elecsys anti-N assay — Beyerl et al., EBioMedicine
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2021
The paper identified that the Zymo DNA/RNA shield preservative paired with the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit extraction yielded more detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA from stool than the OMNIgene-GUT kit or storage without preservative. This supports decentralised diagnostics by establishing a validated method for preserving and analysing self-collected stool samples, enabling reliable detection of viral shedding for epidemiology and patient management.
Standardized preservation, extraction and quantification techniques for detection of fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA — Natarajan et al., Nature communications
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- serology
2021
Self-collected saliva and buccal swabs showed only moderate agreement with healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection, with positive percent agreement of 66.7% and 56.7% respectively. This suggests they may be useful for initial screening in decentralised settings, but negative results should be confirmed with standard nasopharyngeal sampling to avoid missing infections.
Validation of self-collected buccal swab and saliva as a diagnostic tool for COVID-19 — Ku et al., International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2021
Saliva PCR viral loads were equivalent to nasopharyngeal swab in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, with high agreement and comparable detection sensitivity, supporting saliva as a useful self-collected diagnostic tool.
Equivalent SARS-CoV-2 viral loads by PCR between nasopharyngeal swab and saliva in symptomatic patients — Yokota et al., Scientific reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- serology
2020
Vaccine-induced HPV antibodies from cervicovaginal secretions were detectable in first-void urine and correlated with serum levels, so one self-collected urine sample can monitor both HPV infection and immunogenicity without a blood draw; the authors see promise for decentralised follow-up after vaccination.
Non-invasive Assessment of Vaccine-Induced HPV Antibodies via First-Void Urine — Pattyn et al., Frontiers in Immunology
- first-void
- sti
- serology
- hpv
- liquid-biopsy
- liquid
- urine
- biomarkers
2020
The study found that HIV-1 viral load testing using fingerstick blood collected in BD Microtainer tubes showed high correlation, R² ≥0.980, with standard venous assays, supporting decentralised patient-centric microsampling. The authors note the limitation that testing was performed at a single laboratory site.
Performance evaluation of the Aptima HIV-1 RNA Quant assay on the Panther system using the standard and dilution protocols — Rossetti et al., Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology (paywalled)
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- bd-microtainer
- venous-agreement
- serology
2020
Eighty-four per cent of 148 diverse US adults found self-collection of saliva, oropharyngeal swabs and dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 testing acceptable, and 87 per cent were confident their specimens were sufficient for laboratory analysis. The lack of demographic differences in acceptability supports broad feasibility of decentralised diagnostics.
At-home self-collection of saliva, oropharyngeal swabs and dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and serology: Post-collection acceptability of specimen collection process and patient confidence in specimens — Valentine-Graves et al., PloS one
- blood
- saliva
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- serology
2020
Saliva shows potential as a patient-friendly alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 diagnosis, with comparable sensitivity and specificity in RT-PCR testing. Its self-collection capability supports decentralised, patient-centric testing strategies during pandemics.
Saliva as a Biological Sample for COVID-19 Diagnosis? — Kafle & Sapkota, Kathmandu University medical journal (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- validation
- acceptability
- serology
2020
During urban reactive case detection for malaria in Lusaka, dried blood spot sampling was deployed for parasite genetic analysis alongside rapid diagnostic tests. However, high infection complexity and small sample numbers constrained the ability to discern transmission pathways from the genetic data.
The use of spatial and genetic tools to assess Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Lusaka, Zambia between 2011 and 2015 — Bridges et al., Malaria journal
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- serology
- genotyping
2020
Dried blood spots yield accurate HBV-DNA quantification comparable to plasma, with a limit of quantification of 400 IU/mL. The DNA remains stable in dried spots at room temperature for one month, offering a practical solution for remote hepatitis B monitoring in resource-limited settings to guide treatment and prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Combined use of dried blood spot and rapid molecular systems: A robust solution to monitor hepatitis B virus infection with potential for resource-limited countries — Bargain et al., Journal of virological methods (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
2020
The study found that stimulant users were less likely to complete an at-home dried blood spot collection protocol than other drug users, but it is feasible to conduct decentralised studies with this population. This matters because it supports the use of patient-centric microsampling in high-risk groups for infectious disease monitoring, despite adherence challenges.
Stimulant Use and Study Protocol Completion: Assessing the Ability of Men Who Have Sex with Men to Collect Dried Blood Spots for Laboratory Measurement of HIV Viral Load — Teran et al., Archives of sexual behavior (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- serology
2020
The study validated dried blood spot cards for detecting rabies virus antibodies in 99 human pre- and post-vaccination samples, finding strong correlation between DBS and serum with the gold-standard FAVNt (R = 0.88) and acceptable sensitivity and specificity with both FAVNt and Platelia-II ELISA, supporting their use for rabies serology in remote areas where venipuncture is impractical.
Dried blood spot cards: A reliable sampling method to detect human antibodies against rabies virus — Doornekamp et al., PLoS neglected tropical diseases
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- validation
- venous-agreement
- serology
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