This article was originally published here

Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2022 Apr 15;31(1):e2021409. doi: 10.1590/S1679-49742022000100002. eCollection 2022.

OBJECTIVE: To show the feasibility of the combined use of self-collected nasopharyngeal swab and pool testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 in epidemiological surveys.

METHODS: This experience included a sample of 154 students at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, who performed self-collected nasopharyngeal swab in individual cabins and without supervision. The molecular test was performed using the pool testing technique.

RESULTS: It took each person 5 minutes to collect the sample. An analysis was performed to detect endogenous RNA in 40 samples. The results showed that there were no failures resulting from self-collection. None of the pools detected the presence of viral RNA. The cost of molecular testing (RT-PCR), by pool testing, with samples obtained by self-collection was about ten times lower than the usual methods.

CONCLUSION: The strategies that were investigated proved to be economically feasible and valid for the research on SARS-CoV-2 in epidemiological surveys.