by
Kevin O'Laughlin;
Catherine C Espinosa;
Sarah E Smith-Jeffcoat;
Mitsuki Koh;
George M Khalil;
Adam Hoffman;
Paulina Rebolledo;
Marcos Schechter;
Rebekah J Stewart;
Juliana da Silva;
Caitlin Biedron;
Bettina Bankamp;
Jennifer Folster;
Amy S Gargis;
Michael D Bowen;
Ashley Paulick;
Yun Wang;
Jacqueline E Tate;
Hannah Kirking
Self-collected specimens can expand access to SARS-CoV-2 testing. At a large inner-city hospital 1,082 participants self-collected saliva and anterior nasal swab (ANS) samples before healthcare workers collected nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples on the same day. To characterize patient preferences for self-collection, this investigation explored ability, comfort, and ease of ANS and saliva self-collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing along with associated patient characteristics, including medical history and symptoms of COVID-19. With nearly all participants successfully submitting a specimen, favorable ratings from most participants (at least >79% in ease and comfort), and equivocal preference between saliva and ANS, self-collection is a viable SARS-CoV-2 testing option.