Diagnostic accuracy of self-collected anterior nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing.

This prospective sub-study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the self-collected anterior nasal swab (ANS; Rhinoswab) against that of healthcare professional (HCP)-collected combined throat and nasal swab (CTN). Eligibility criteria for the study included: >5 years of age, a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapid antigen or PCR <72 h prior, and one other participating household member. Samples were tested via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and included in the analysis where RS and CTN swab were collected on the same day. Indeterminate results were excluded from the analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were used to assess the accuracy of results from self-collected RS. Analysis of the average cycle threshold (Ct) was performed in GraphPad Prism using a paired IMPORTANCE: In this study, we compared the PCR results of self-collected anterior nasal swabs against healthcare professional-collected combined throat and nasal swabs. The sensitivity and specificity of the anterior nasal swab were considered acceptable when compared to World Health Organization recommendations. The sensitivity of the Rhinoswab ANS was higher at the beginning of the trial when compared with the final day of the trial, regardless of the number of prongs tested via PCR. The self-collected Rhinoswab is a valid tool for community screening of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in vulnerable populations.