ArticlePloS one2023
COVID-19 self-testing using antigen rapid diagnostic tests: Feasibility evaluation among health-care workers and general population in Malawi.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Usabilidade de autoteste de antígeno para COVID-19: fatores associados e desafios relatados.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2026Article
- Acceptability and usability of home-based HIV and blood glucose self-testing and home-based blood pressure measurement in Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Acceptability of COVID-19 self-testing among social and clinical vulnerable populations using a decentralized testing model in Abuja, Nigeria; A mixed methods analysis of an implementation study.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Acceptability and usability of COVID-19 antigen self-test in populations under socioeconomic vulnerability in Brazil: A cross-sectional study.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Acceptability of Covid-19 self-testing among Primary Health Care users.Revista de saude publica · 2026Article
- Article
- Decision-makers' perspectives on the implementation of COVID-19 self-testing in Mozambique.Public health action · 2025Article
- Acceptability, Feasibility, and Uptake of COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Self-Testing at the Community Level in Tanzania.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- Understanding the acceptability of COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests: A multi-country qualitative study.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Provider costs of professional COVID-19 rapid antigen testing in low-income settings.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- COVID-19 diagnosis within five days of symptoms onset among healthcare workers in Malawi; Non-randomized control trial of self-testing using Ag-RDTs.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- SARS-CoV-2 Evolution: Implications for Diagnosis, Treatment, Vaccine Effectiveness and Development.Vaccines · 2024Review
- Integrating SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing in maternal, neonatal and child health, HIV, and TB clinics in Kenya and Cameroon: outcomes from the Catalysing COVID-19 Action Project.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Implementation pilot study of community self-testing for COVID-19 among employees of manufacturing industries and their household members in 2022 to 2023.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Article
- Evaluation of COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests for self-testing in Lesotho and Zambia.PloS one · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCOVID-19 testing is critical for identifying cases to prevent transmission. COVID-19 self-testing has the potential to increase diagnostic testing capacity and to expand access to hard-to-reach areas in low-and-middle-income countries. We investigated the feasibility and acceptability of COVID-19 self-sampling and self-testing using SARS-CoV-2 Antigen-Rapid Diagnostic Tests (Ag-RDTs).
methodsFrom July 2021 to February 2022, we conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional study examining self-sampling and self-testing using Standard Q and Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device in Urban and rural Blantyre, Malawi. Health care workers and adults (18y+) in the general population were non-randomly sampled.
resultsOverall, 1,330 participants were enrolled of whom 674 (56.0%) were female and 656 (54.0%) were male with 664 for self-sampling and 666 for self-testing. Mean age was 30.7y (standard deviation [SD] 9.6). Self-sampling usability threshold for Standard Q was 273/333 (82.0%: 95% CI 77.4% to 86.0%) and 261/331 (78.8%: 95% CI 74.1% to 83.1%) for Panbio. Self-testing threshold was 276/335 (82.4%: 95% CI 77.9% to 86.3%) and 300/332 (90.4%: 95% CI 86.7% to 93.3%) for Standard Q and Panbio, respectively. Agreement between self-sample results and professional test results was 325/325 (100%) and 322/322 (100%) for Standard Q and Panbio, respectively. For self-testing, agreement was 332/333 (99.7%: 95% CI 98.3 to 100%) for Standard Q and 330/330 (100%: 95% CI 99.8 to 100%) for Panbio. Odds of achieving self-sampling threshold increased if the participant was recruited from an urban site (odds ratio [OR] 2.15 95% CI 1.44 to 3.23, P < .01. Compared to participants with primary school education those with secondary and tertiary achieved higher self-testing threshold OR 1.88 (95% CI 1.17 to 3.01), P = .01 and 4.05 (95% CI 1.20 to13.63), P = .02, respectively.
conclusionsOne of the first studies to demonstrate high feasibility and acceptability of self-testing using SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDTs among general and health-care worker populations in low- and middle-income countries potentially supporting large scale-up. Further research is warranted to provide optimal delivery strategies of self-testing.
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