FIND, The Global Alliance for Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland.
Instituto Locomotiva, São Paulo, Brazil.
BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Sep 2;22(1):720. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07706-7.
Brazil is among the countries in South America where the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the general population hardest. Self-testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection is one of the community-based strategies that could help asymptomatic individuals at-risk of COVID-19, as well as those living in areas that are difficult for health personnel to reach, to know their infectious status and contribute to impeding further transmission of the virus.
A population-based survey was conducted in November 2021, to assess the acceptability of rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen self-testing among the population of São Paulo. Survey respondents were approached at more than 400 different street-points that were randomly selected using a five-stage randomization process. A 35-item structured questionnaire was used. Dependent variables for our analyses were the likelihood to use and willingness to pay for self-testing, and the likelihood of taking preventive measures to prevent onward transmission of SARS-CoV-2 following a reactive self-test result. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed.
Overall, 417 respondents (44.12% female) participated; 19.66% had previously had COVID-19 disease. A minority (9.59%) felt at high-risk of COVID-19. The majority of both females and males (73.91% and 60.09%, respectively) were in favor of the idea of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. Overall, if self-tests were available, almost half of the sample would be very likely (n = 54, 12.95%) or likely (n = 151, 36.21%) to use one if they felt they needed to. Upon receiving a positive self-test result, the majority of respondents would communicate it (88.49%), request facility-based post-test counseling (98.32%), self-isolate (97.60%), and warn their close contacts (96.64%).
Rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen self-testing could be an acceptable screening tool in São Paulo. The population would be empowered by having access to a technology that would allow them to test, even if asymptomatic, when traveling, or going to work or school. If there is a surge in the incidence of cases, self-testing could be a good approach for mass case detection by Brazil's already overstretched Unified Health System.
巴西是南美洲受 COVID-19 大流行影响最严重的国家之一。SARS-CoV-2 感染的自我检测是一种基于社区的策略，可以帮助无症状的 COVID-19 高危人群，以及那些生活在卫生人员难以到达的地区的人群，了解他们的感染状况，并有助于阻止病毒进一步传播。
2021 年 11 月进行了一项基于人群的调查，以评估 SARS-CoV-2 快速抗原自我检测在圣保罗人群中的可接受性。调查对象是在使用五阶段随机化过程随机选择的 400 多个不同街道点接近的。使用了一个 35 项的结构化问卷。我们分析的因变量是使用自我检测的可能性和愿意支付费用，以及在反应性自我检测结果后采取预防措施以防止 SARS-CoV-2 进一步传播的可能性。进行了单变量和多变量回归分析。
共有 417 名受访者（44.12%为女性）参加；19.66%曾患过 COVID-19 疾病。少数人（9.59%）认为自己有患 COVID-19 的高风险。无论是女性还是男性，大多数人（分别为 73.91%和 60.09%）都赞成 SARS-CoV-2 自我检测的想法。总体而言，如果自我检测可用，样本中的近一半人（n=54，12.95%）或很可能（n=151，36.21%）会在感到需要时使用一个。在收到阳性自我检测结果后，大多数受访者会将其传达（88.49%），请求设施后检测咨询（98.32%），自我隔离（97.60%），并警告他们的密切接触者（96.64%）。
快速 SARS-CoV-2 抗原自我检测可能是圣保罗的一种可接受的筛查工具。如果人们可以使用这项技术进行检测，即使是无症状的情况下，在旅行、上班或上学时，他们也将获得赋权。如果病例发病率激增，自我检测可能是巴西已经不堪重负的统一卫生系统大规模病例检测的一个很好的方法。
