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Feasibility and Acceptability of Community COVID-19 Testing Strategies (FACTS) in a University Setting

24 Pages Posted: 10 May 2021

See all articles by Jennifer Hirst

Jennifer Hirst

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Mary Logan

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Thomas R. Fanshawe

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Lazaro Mwandigha

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Marta Wanat

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Charles Vicary

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Rafael Perera

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Sarah Tonkin-Crine

Imperial College London - NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance

Joseph Jonathan Lee

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Irene Tracey

University of Oxford - Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging

Gordon Duff

University of Oxford - St. Hilda's College

Peter Tufano

Harvard Business School; Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

Marya Besharov

University of Oxford - Said Business School

Lionel Tarassenko

Sensyne Health

Brian D. Nicholson

University of Oxford

Richard Hobbs

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

More...

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the UK government began a mass SARS-CoV-2 testing programme. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of organised regular self-testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: This was a mixed methods observational cohort study in asymptomatic students and staff at University of Oxford, who performed SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow self-testing. Data on uptake and adherence, acceptability, and test interpretation were collected via a smartphone app, an online survey, and qualitative interviews.

Findings: Across three main sites, 551 participants (25% of those invited) performed 2728 tests during a follow-up of 5.6 weeks. 447 participants (81%) completed at least two, and 340 (62%) completed at least four tests. The survey, completed by 214 participants (39%), found that 98% of people were confident to self-test and believed self-testing to be beneficial. Acceptability of self-testing was high, with 91% of ratings being acceptable or very acceptable. 2711 (99.4%) test results were negative, nine were positive and eight were inconclusive. Results from eighteen qualitative interviews with staff and students revealed that participants valued regular testing, but there were concerns about test accuracy that impacted uptake and adherence.

Interpretation: This is the first study to assess feasibility and acceptability of regular SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. It provides evidence to inform recruitment, adherence to, and acceptability of regular SARS-CoV-2 self-testing programmes for asymptomatic individuals using lateral flow tests. We found that self-testing is acceptable and people were able to interpret results accurately.

Funding: This work was funded by Oxford University Medical Science Divisions

Declaration of Interests: LT works part-time for Sensyne Health as R&D Director and holds share options in the company. He also reports a research grant and personal fees from the company.

Ethics Approval Statement: FACTS is a mixed methods cohort study conducted at the University of Oxford. It was approved by the University of Oxford Research Ethics Committee in October 2020 (CUREC ethics reference R72896/RE001).

Suggested Citation

Hirst, Jennifer and Logan, Mary and Fanshawe, Thomas R. and Mwandigha, Lazaro and Wanat, Marta and Vicary, Charles and Perera, Rafael and Tonkin-Crine, Sarah and Lee, Joseph Jonathan and Tracey, Irene and Duff, Gordon and Tufano, Peter and Besharov, Marya and Tarassenko, Lionel and Nicholson, Brian D. and Hobbs, F.D. Richard, Feasibility and Acceptability of Community COVID-19 Testing Strategies (FACTS) in a University Setting. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3840101 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3840101

Jennifer Hirst

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Mary Logan

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Thomas R. Fanshawe

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Lazaro Mwandigha

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Marta Wanat

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Charles Vicary

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Rafael Perera

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Sarah Tonkin-Crine

Imperial College London - NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance

London
United Kingdom

Joseph Jonathan Lee

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Irene Tracey

University of Oxford - Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom

Gordon Duff

University of Oxford - St. Hilda's College

Cowley Place
Oxford, OX4 1DY
United Kingdom

Peter Tufano

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan Hall 131
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

Marya Besharov

University of Oxford - Said Business School ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

Lionel Tarassenko

Sensyne Health ( email )

Science Park, Schrödinger Building
Oxford, OX44GE
United Kingdom

Brian D. Nicholson

University of Oxford ( email )

F.D. Richard Hobbs (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences ( email )

Oxford
United Kingdom