Self-Testing for Our Protection from COVID-19 (STOP COVID-19) Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to understand how and why people tested for SARS-CoV-2 and how they reported their results to local public health departments. The study focused on real testing behavior, reporting decisions, and the factors that shaped these actions. The study also examined whether wearable device signals could help identify early signs of infection.

Materials/Methods: Participants enrolled for three months. They received home delivery of rapid antigen kits and PCR collection kits when they reported that they were at risk for infection. Risk included new symptoms or recent exposure to a confirmed case. Participants completed regular reports about symptoms, exposures, and testing behaviors. The study collected wearable device data to measure changes in physiological patterns before and during infection. The study linked test results, self-report data, and device signals to identify patterns that might predict early infection.

Outcome/Impact: The study provided insight into how people used at-home SARS-CoV-2 tests and how often they reported results to public health systems. Findings helped clarify barriers to reporting and identified factors that increased timely communication. Wearable device data revealed signals that aligned with early infection patterns, showing potential value for future surveillance tools. The study supported development of strategies that encouraged accurate self-testing, prompt reporting, and earlier identification of infection risk in community settings. Sequencing data from this study are available in the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) repository and can be accessed here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/988138.