Index Cases First Identified by Nasal-Swab Rapid COVID-19 Tests Had More Transmission to Household Contacts Than Cases Identified by Other Test Types
Authors: Ji Jenny , Winnett Alexander Viloria , Shelby Natasha , Reyes Jessica A. , Schlenker Noah W. , Davich Hannah , Caldera Saharai , Tognazzini Colten , Goh Ying-Ying , Feaster Matt , Ismagilov Rustem F. 
Published: March 2023

Importance

At-home rapid COVID-19 tests utilize nasal-swab specimens and require high viral loads to reliably give positive results. Longitudinal studies from the onset of infection have found infectious virus can present in oral specimens days before nasal. Detection and initiation of infection-control practices may therefore be delayed when nasal-swab rapid tests are used, resulting in greater exposure and transmission to contacts.

Objective

We assessed whether index cases first identified by rapid nasal-swab COVID-19 tests had more transmission to household contacts than index cases who used other test types (tests with higher analytical sensitivity but longer turnaround times, and/or that utilize non-nasal specimen types).

Design

In this observational cohort study, members of households with a recent COVID-19 case were screened for infection at least daily by RT-qPCR on one or more self-collected upper-respiratory specimen types. Participants reported demographic/medical information (including COVID-19 testing), symptom and exposure information, and household infection-control practices. A two-level random intercept model was used to assess the association between the infection outcome of household contacts and each covariable (household size, race/ethnicity, age, vaccination status, viral variant, infection-control practices, and whether a rapid nasal-swab test was used to initially identify the household index case).

Setting

Southern California, September 2020—June 2021 and November 2021—March 2022.

Participants

Cohort of 370 individuals from 85 households.

Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s)

Transmission was quantified by adjusted secondary attack rates (aSAR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR).

Results

An aSAR of 53.6% (95% CI 38.8–68.3%) was observed among households where the index case first tested positive by a rapid nasal-swab COVID-19 test, which was significantly higher than the aSAR for households where the index case utilized another test type (27.2% 95% CI 19.5– 35.0%,P=0.003 pairwise comparisons of predictive margins). We observed an aOR of 4.90 (95% CI 1.65–14.56) for transmission to household contacts when a nasal-swab rapid test was used to identify the index case, compared to other test types.

Conclusions and Relevance

Use of nasal-swab rapid COVID-19 tests for initial detection of infection and initiation of infection control may not limit transmission as well as other test types.

Key Points

1.

Question

Does identification of index cases by rapid nasal-swab tests limit household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 as well as other test types?

2.

Finding

Significantly higher adjusted secondary attack rates and adjusted odds ratios for transmission were observed in households where the index case used a nasal rapid COVID-19 test for initial detection versus other test types.

3.

Meaning

The use of nasal-swab rapid COVID-19 tests for initial detection of infection and initiation of infection control may not limit transmission as well as other test types.