Does Home COVID-19 Testing Bias COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Estimates?

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

COVID-19 home testing became widely available in early 2021. Care seeking for acute respiratory illness and COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness estimates may be affected by home testing.

Methods

In a test-negative case-control study, between January and May 2022, U.S. Flu VE Network outpatients were asked about their home COVID-19 testing before seeking care for acute respiratory illness and were laboratory tested for SARS-CoV-2. Associations among home testing, care seeking, and COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Among 2,614 enrollees, home COVID-19 testing was significantly associated with current (≤6 months) COVID-19 vaccination (AOR=1.70; 95% CI=1.19, 2.42), cough (AOR=1.69; 95% CI=1.22, 2.34), and

SUBMITTER: Nowalk MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12690486 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature