We aimed to assess the feasibility of TESTA’T COVID strategy among healthcare and education professionals.in Spain during the peak of the 6th wave caused by Omicron variant. Kits were ordered online and sent by mail, participants answered an online acceptability/usability survey and uploaded the picture of results. 492 participants ordered a test, 304 uploaded the picture (61.8%). Eighteen positive cases were detected (5.9%). 92.2% were satisfied/very satisfied with the intervention; and 92.5% found performing the test easy/very easy. We demonstrated that implementing online COVID-19 self-testing in schools and healthcare settings in Spain is feasible.

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 screening is one of the pillars of non-pharmaceutical preventive strategies to early identify and isolate infected individuals and therefore decrease community incidence.MethodsWe assessed the feasibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 self-testing with antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests in attendees of educational settings.ResultsA total of 305 students (88.15%) and 41 staff (11.85%) from 9 to 56 years old participated in the self-testing procedure and answered the survey at the end of the study. 91.3% (n = 313) did not need help, 96.1% of participants reported the same outcome as the healthcare workers. 94.5% strongly or slightly agree with the statement “I would repeat the experience”.ConclusionThe study demonstrates that self-testing is acceptable and usable in children, adolescents and adults when the epidemiological situation may require a systematic screening of these populations, although supervision by health care or previously trained personnel is recommended for younger age groups.

We aimed to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic cases of monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and trans women (TW), using a self-sampling strategy. Anal and pharyngeal swabs were tested by MPXV real-time PCR and positive samples inoculated into Vero E6 cells, which were subsequently checked for cytopathic effect (CPE). Seven out 113 participants were MPXV positive (6.19% (95% CI: 1.75%-10.64%)). Five tested positive in pharyngeal swabs, one in anal swab and one in both. Six did not present symptoms recognized as MPXV infection. Three samples were positive for CPE, and showed anti-vaccinia pAb staining by FACS and confocal microscopy. We describe Mpox cases that remain undiagnosed and show reproductive virus despite low viral loads and who might be able to infect others. Restricting testing to individuals reporting Mpox symptoms may not be enough to contain outbreaks.

We aimed to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic cases of monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and trans women (TW), using a self-sampling strategy. Anal and pharyngeal swabs were tested by MPXV real-time PCR and positive samples inoculated into Vero E6 cells, which were subsequently checked for cytopathic effect (CPE). Seven out 113 participants were MPXV positive (6.19% (95% CI: 1.75%-10.64%)). Five tested positive in pharyngeal swabs, one in anal swab and one in both. Six did not present symptoms recognized as MPXV infection. Three samples were positive for CPE, and showed anti-vaccinia pAb staining by FACS and confocal microscopy. We describe Mpox cases that remain undiagnosed and show reproductive virus despite low viral loads and who might be able to infect others. Restricting testing to individuals reporting Mpox symptoms may not be enough to contain outbreaks.