At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study
Background: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted a need for easy and safe blood sampling in combination with accurate serological methodology. Venipuncture for testing is usually performed by trained staff at healthcare centres. Long travel distances to healthcare centres in rural regions...
Published in: | Eurosurveillance |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Umeå universitet, Institutionen för klinisk mikrobiologi
2023
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Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-206673 https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 |
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ftumeauniv:oai:DiVA.org:umu-206673 2023-10-09T21:54:37+02:00 At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study Wigren, Julia Vikström, Linnea Rosendal, Ebba Gröning, Remigius Gwon, Yong-Dae Nilsson, Emma Sharma, Atin Espaillat, Akbar Hanke, Leo McInerney, Gerald Puhar, Andrea Cava, Felipe Karlsson Hedestam, Gunilla B. Thunberg, Therese Monsen, Tor Elgh, Fredrik Evander, Magnus Johansson, Anders F. Överby, Anna K. Ahlm, Clas Normark, Johan Forsell, Mattias N. E. 2023 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-206673 https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 eng eng Umeå universitet, Institutionen för klinisk mikrobiologi Umeå universitet, Molekylär Infektionsmedicin, Sverige (MIMS) Umeå universitet, Institutionen för molekylärbiologi (Medicinska fakulteten) Xerum AB, Umeå, Sweden Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) Eurosurveillance, 1025-496X, 2023, 28:13, orcid:0000-0001-8512-0535 orcid:0000-0001-5384-8038 orcid:0000-0001-8123-3292 orcid:0000-0002-9915-002x orcid:0000-0001-5995-718x orcid:0000-0003-0548-5943 orcid:0000-0001-6553-0940 orcid:0000-0003-2018-8592 orcid:0000-0001-6904-742x http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-206673 doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 PMID 36995373 ISI:000971868200003 Scopus 2-s2.0-85151573640 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess coronavirus disease (COVID-19) laboratory surveillance Sweden Infectious Medicine Infektionsmedicin Microbiology in the medical area Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2023 ftumeauniv https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 2023-09-22T14:01:28Z Background: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted a need for easy and safe blood sampling in combination with accurate serological methodology. Venipuncture for testing is usually performed by trained staff at healthcare centres. Long travel distances to healthcare centres in rural regions may introduce a bias of testing towards relatively large communities with closer access. Rural regions are therefore often not represented in population-based data. Aim: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to develop and implement a strategy for at-home testing in a rural region of Sweden during spring 2021, and to evaluate its role to provide equal health care for its inhabitants. Methods: We developed a sensitive method to measure antibodies to the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 and optimised this assay for clinical use together with a strategy of at-home capillary blood sampling. Results: We demonstrated that our ELISA gave comparable results after analysis of capillary blood or serum from SARS-CoV-2-experienced individuals. We demonstrated stability of the assay under conditions that reflected temperature and humidity during winter or summer. By assessment of capillary blood samples from 4,122 individuals, we could show both feasibility of the strategy and that implementation shifted the geographical spread of testing in favour of rural areas. Conclusion: Implementation of at-home sampling enabled citizens living in remote rural areas access to centralised and sensitive laboratory antibody tests. The strategy for testing used here could therefore enable disease control authorities to get rapid access to information concerning immunity to infectious diseases, even across vast geographical distance. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Sweden Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) Eurosurveillance 28 13 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftumeauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) laboratory surveillance Sweden Infectious Medicine Infektionsmedicin Microbiology in the medical area Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området |
spellingShingle |
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) laboratory surveillance Sweden Infectious Medicine Infektionsmedicin Microbiology in the medical area Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området Wigren, Julia Vikström, Linnea Rosendal, Ebba Gröning, Remigius Gwon, Yong-Dae Nilsson, Emma Sharma, Atin Espaillat, Akbar Hanke, Leo McInerney, Gerald Puhar, Andrea Cava, Felipe Karlsson Hedestam, Gunilla B. Thunberg, Therese Monsen, Tor Elgh, Fredrik Evander, Magnus Johansson, Anders F. Överby, Anna K. Ahlm, Clas Normark, Johan Forsell, Mattias N. E. At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
topic_facet |
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) laboratory surveillance Sweden Infectious Medicine Infektionsmedicin Microbiology in the medical area Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området |
description |
Background: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted a need for easy and safe blood sampling in combination with accurate serological methodology. Venipuncture for testing is usually performed by trained staff at healthcare centres. Long travel distances to healthcare centres in rural regions may introduce a bias of testing towards relatively large communities with closer access. Rural regions are therefore often not represented in population-based data. Aim: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to develop and implement a strategy for at-home testing in a rural region of Sweden during spring 2021, and to evaluate its role to provide equal health care for its inhabitants. Methods: We developed a sensitive method to measure antibodies to the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 and optimised this assay for clinical use together with a strategy of at-home capillary blood sampling. Results: We demonstrated that our ELISA gave comparable results after analysis of capillary blood or serum from SARS-CoV-2-experienced individuals. We demonstrated stability of the assay under conditions that reflected temperature and humidity during winter or summer. By assessment of capillary blood samples from 4,122 individuals, we could show both feasibility of the strategy and that implementation shifted the geographical spread of testing in favour of rural areas. Conclusion: Implementation of at-home sampling enabled citizens living in remote rural areas access to centralised and sensitive laboratory antibody tests. The strategy for testing used here could therefore enable disease control authorities to get rapid access to information concerning immunity to infectious diseases, even across vast geographical distance. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wigren, Julia Vikström, Linnea Rosendal, Ebba Gröning, Remigius Gwon, Yong-Dae Nilsson, Emma Sharma, Atin Espaillat, Akbar Hanke, Leo McInerney, Gerald Puhar, Andrea Cava, Felipe Karlsson Hedestam, Gunilla B. Thunberg, Therese Monsen, Tor Elgh, Fredrik Evander, Magnus Johansson, Anders F. Överby, Anna K. Ahlm, Clas Normark, Johan Forsell, Mattias N. E. |
author_facet |
Wigren, Julia Vikström, Linnea Rosendal, Ebba Gröning, Remigius Gwon, Yong-Dae Nilsson, Emma Sharma, Atin Espaillat, Akbar Hanke, Leo McInerney, Gerald Puhar, Andrea Cava, Felipe Karlsson Hedestam, Gunilla B. Thunberg, Therese Monsen, Tor Elgh, Fredrik Evander, Magnus Johansson, Anders F. Överby, Anna K. Ahlm, Clas Normark, Johan Forsell, Mattias N. E. |
author_sort |
Wigren, Julia |
title |
At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
title_short |
At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
title_full |
At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
title_fullStr |
At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
title_full_unstemmed |
At-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in a rural region of northern Sweden, March to May 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
title_sort |
at-home sampling to meet geographical challenges for serological assessment of sars-cov-2 exposure in a rural region of northern sweden, march to may 2021 : a retrospective cohort study |
publisher |
Umeå universitet, Institutionen för klinisk mikrobiologi |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-206673 https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 |
genre |
Northern Sweden |
genre_facet |
Northern Sweden |
op_relation |
Eurosurveillance, 1025-496X, 2023, 28:13, orcid:0000-0001-8512-0535 orcid:0000-0001-5384-8038 orcid:0000-0001-8123-3292 orcid:0000-0002-9915-002x orcid:0000-0001-5995-718x orcid:0000-0003-0548-5943 orcid:0000-0001-6553-0940 orcid:0000-0003-2018-8592 orcid:0000-0001-6904-742x http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-206673 doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 PMID 36995373 ISI:000971868200003 Scopus 2-s2.0-85151573640 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.13.2200432 |
container_title |
Eurosurveillance |
container_volume |
28 |
container_issue |
13 |
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1779318278616776704 |