Table 1.
Self-collection of respiratory specimens, delays in shipping, and gap between illness onset and shipping among a pilot sample of 53 pregnant women
| Collected and shipped respiratory specimen? | Not shipped | shipped |
|---|---|---|
| Specimen kit delivered by study staff (n = 20) | 18 (90%) | |
| Failed to ship within 7 days | 1 (5%) | |
| Shipped vial but without swab | 1 (5%) | |
| Specimen kit delivered by courier (n = 22) | 20 (90%) | |
| Failed to ship within 7 days | 1 (5%) | |
| Never shipped specimen | 1 (5%) | |
| Specimen kit mailed to participants (n = 11)* | 9 (82%) | |
| Never shipped specimen | 2 (18%) |
| Delay (in days) from receipt of specimen kit to shipping?† | (Min, Max) | Median | ≤2 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specimen kit delivered by study staff (n = 18) | (0, 4) | 2 | 12 (67%) |
| Specimen kit delivered by courier (n = 20) | (0, 7) | 1 | 15 (71%) |
| Specimen kit mailed to participants (n = 9) | (0, 4) | 1 | 6 (67%) |
| Among women screened ≤6 days from illness onset, gap (in days) from illness onset to specimen shipping? | (Min, Max) | Median | ≤8 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specimen kit delivered by study staff (n = 9) | (4, 8) | 5 | 9 (100%) |
| Specimen kit delivered by courier (n = 11) | (4, 8) | 6 | 11 (100%) |
| Specimen kit mailed to participants (n = 8) | (3, 11) | 5·5 | 6 (75%) |
*
Only participants enrolled before 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday could be randomized to the mailed kit method, in order to meet next-day delivery deadlines. Thus, the number assigned to this group is approximately half that of the other two methods.
†
Delivery date is considered day zero; the next day is day 1.