UNSTRUCTURED
Background: Accessible, safe and client-centred SARS-CoV-2 testing services are an effective way to halt its transmission. Testing enables individuals to isolate or quarantine to prevent further transmission.
In countries with limited health systems and laboratory capacity, the provision of accessible and safe screening for COVID-19 is challenging. Self-testing provides a convenient, private and safe testing option. However, it also raises some important concerns relating to a lack of counselling and a clear pathway to ensure timely reporting of self-test results to national surveillance systems. Investigating community members’ views and perceptions is crucial to inform the most effective and safe strategies for implementing SARS-CoV-2 self-testing.
Methods: This study will be conducted in nine countries: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines and South Africa. It is a multi-site, mixed methods, observational study that consists of two components: cross-sectional surveys and a qualitative inquiry among four respondent groupings: the general population, general population representatives, healthcare workers and decision-makers. Our main research question is how useful, and under which circumstances, would SARS-CoV-2 self-testing be for populations in low-resource settings, to diagnose and prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2?
The general population and the healthcare worker surveys will be analysed separately, using bivariate and multivariate inferential analysis and descriptive statistics. The qualitative inquiries, which will comprise semi-structured interviews and group interviews, will be audio recorded, transcribed and coded. Thematic analysis will be conducted.
Discussion: The views and perceptions of local populations are crucial for leading the discussion around the safest strategies for implementing SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. This study intends to generate evidence about the different sociocultural specificities that may hinder or accelerate the widespread utilisation of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. Dissemination of results will be via publications, presentations at conferences, and dissemination events specifically targeted at local decision makers, civil society and patient groups.