Volumetric absorptive microsampling: its use in COVID-19 research and testing

Rudge, James; Kushon, Stuart

COVID-19 led to changes in the way blood samples are collected. As societies were isolated to control viral spread, access to facilities became limited. Remote sample collection with a volumetric microsampling approach, using Mitra(®) devices based on VAMS(®) technology, proved to be highly effective. It allowed people to collect high-quality samples at home and post them to a laboratory. This enabled scientists to conduct large serosurveillance studies, with results showing that seroprevalence of COVID-19 was higher than initially expected. Furthermore, remote microsampling studies by several institutions were conducted to measure the relationship between antigen levels and antibody response and duration. VAMS technology was also used in COVID-19 clinical trials. In summary, the independent research reviewed in this paper proved that VAMS is an effective sample collection alternative.