Use of dried blood spots in the detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systematic review

COVID-19 disease continues to be a global health concern. The current protocol for detecting SARS-CoV-2 requires healthcare professionals to draw blood from patients. Recent studies showed that dried blood spot (DBS) is a valuable sampling procedure that can collect a low blood volume without the need for the presence of medical practitioners. This study synthesized the available literature on using DBS as a blood collection tool to diagnose COVID-19 disease. A comprehensive search utilizing OVID, CINAHL, and Scopus databases was done from inception to March 2023. Five reviewers collected, extracted and organized the study data. This systematic review included 57 articles. DBS was commonly prepared by finger pricking. Most studies showed more favorable results and longer sample stability (more than 1080 days) with lower storage temperature conditions for the DBS. DBS samples were mostly used for serological assays for COVID-19 disease detection. ELISA was the most used detection method (43.66 %). Diagnostic performance of laboratory tests for COVID-19 using DBS sample showed high sensitivity of up to 100 % for immunoassay tests and 100 % specificity in agglutination, PCR, and DELFIA assays. DBS sampling coupled with serological testing can be an alternative method for collecting blood and detecting COVID-19 disease. These tests using DBS samples showed excellent diagnostic performance across various geographic locations and demographics. •Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling is a promising alternative method for COVID-19.•This systematic review included 57 articles on the use of DBS for COVID-19 testing.•DBS is commonly prepared by finger pricking and remains stable even after 1080 days.•DBS showed a sensitivity of up to 100 % in immunoassays for COVID-19.•DBS showed 100 % specificity in agglutination, PCR, and DELFIA assays for COVID-19.