Results of a pilot study using self‐collected mid‐turbinate nasal swabs for detection of influenza virus infection among pregnant women

Background We evaluated the feasibility of asking pregnant women to self‐collect and ship respiratory specimens. Methods In a preliminary laboratory study, we compared the RT‐PCR cycle threshold (CT) values of influenza A and B viruses incubated at 4 storage temperatures (from 4 to 35°C) for 6 time periods (8, 24, 48, 72, and 168 hours and 30 days), resulting in 24 conditions that were compared to an aliquot tested after standard freezing (−20°C) (baseline condition). In a subsequent pilot study, during January–February, 2014, we delivered respiratory specimen collection kits to 53 pregnant women with a medically attended acute respiratory illness using three delivery methods. Results CT values were stable after storage at temperatures