Abstract
Serological studies rely on the recruitment of representative cohorts; however, such efforts are specially complicated by the conditions surrounding the COVID19 pandemic. We aimed to design and implement a fully remote methodology for conducting safe serological surveys that also allow for the engagement of representative study populations. This design was well-received and effective. 2,066 participants ≥18 years old were enrolled, reflecting the ethnic and racial composition of Massachusetts. >70% of them reported being satisfied/extremely satisfied with the online enrollment and at-home self-collection of blood samples. While 18.6% reported some discomfort experienced with the collection process, 72.2% stated that they would be willing to test weekly if enrolled in a long-term study. High engagement and positive feedback from participants, as well as the quality of self-collected specimens, point to the usefulness of this fully remote, self-collection-based study design for future safer and efficient population-level serological surveys.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had far-reaching consequences since its emergence in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 [1]
We implemented these logistics by successfully conducting a large cross-sectional survey of the population of Massachusetts and measuring the prevalence of total IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of viral transmission and limited capacity of healthcare systems called for the decentralized, at-home nature of this seroprevalence study, leveraging online recruitment, eConsent, electronic questionnaires, and direct-to-patient shipping to reach a broad representative study population
Summary
This design was well-received and effective. 2,066 participants 18 years old were enrolled, reflecting the ethnic and racial composition of Massachusetts. >70% of them reported being satisfied/extremely satisfied with the online enrollment and at-home self-collection of blood samples. 2,066 participants 18 years old were enrolled, reflecting the ethnic and racial composition of Massachusetts. >70% of them reported being satisfied/extremely satisfied with the online enrollment and at-home self-collection of blood samples. While 18.6% reported some discomfort experienced with the collection process, 72.2% stated that they would be willing to test weekly if enrolled in a long-term study
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