Evaluating the accuracy of self-collected swabs for the diagnosis of monkeypox

Abstract

We evaluated the accuracy of patient-collected skin lesions, pharyngeal, and rectal swabs amongst 50 individuals enrolled in a study of monkeypox viral dynamics. We found that the performance of self-collected samples was similar to that of physician-collected samples, suggesting that self-sampling is a reliable strategy for diagnosing monkeypox.

Viral dynamics in patients with monkeypox infection: a prospective cohort study in Spain

“…However, self-collected samples have been shown to be highly accurate for a variety of pathogens, and we have previously shown that lesion and oropharyngeal swabs collected by patients with monkeypox are comparable to those collected by health-care professionals. 14 Second, we used dried blood samples, which might not be as accurate as samples collected by venepuncture. Third, we did not include saliva samples, which have been suggested to have a potential role in disease transmission.…”

“…The details regarding training and instructions given to patients for self-collection of samples are provided in appendix 2 (p 3 ), and the accuracy of self-sampling using these methods is reported elsewhere. 14 The swabs were immediately placed in 3 mL of viral transport medium. For the dried blood spot, participants were asked to completely fill a circle with a diameter of 1·2 mm, which equates to an estimated blood volume of 50 μL.…”