Determining the acceptability of testing contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases to improve secondary case ascertainment
| Autor: | D Ready, E Marchant, R Smithson, Isabel Oliver, G Wimbury, Andre Charlett |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Descriptive survey communicable diseases health protection COVID-19 Testing medicine Humans AcademicSubjects/MED00860 SARS-CoV-2 business.industry Telephone call Public health Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health COVID-19 General Medicine behaviour Test (assessment) Case ascertainment Cross-Sectional Studies Family medicine Original Article Contact Tracing business |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England) |
| ISSN: | 1741-3850 1741-3842 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/pubmed/fdab079 |
| Popis: | Background UK asymptomatic contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases are not routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2. Testing contacts may improve case ascertainment and reduce onward transmission. This study investigated the acceptability of SARS-CoV-2 testing among contacts of confirmed cases as an integral part of the contact-tracing process. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive survey of case contacts was conducted in the UK. All contacts who completed a telephone call with the NHS Test and Trace Agile Lighthouse team were eligible for inclusion and were offered a molecular test. Consenting participants were sent a self-swab kit. Results Of the 1523 individuals contacted, 602 (39.5%) accepted the test offer. Of the 240 (39.9%) samples returned for testing, 16.3% tested polymerase chain reaction-positive for SARS-CoV-2. Most individuals who declined with a reason (638/905; 70.5%) reported they had already taken or booked a SARS-CoV-2 test, or were part of a testing programme. Matched laboratory records confirmed 73.1% of those who declined were tested by another route. Conclusions Most case contacts were tested, either through arranging a test by themselves or by accepting the study offer. Results demonstrate high acceptability, with substantial test positivity, indicating that there is public health benefit in offering tests to contacts as a routine part of the contact-tracing process. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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