This pilot study tested whether decentralized self-sampling for respiratory viruses, online questionnaires, and telemedicine were feasible in the BEready household cohort in Switzerland (May 2023–September 2024), enrolling 108 households (161 adults, 32 children, 29 cats, 15 dogs).
78 of 108 households reported 152 disease events; valid sample return rates were 70% (131/188) for index cases and 69% (105/152) for household contacts, but only 51% (24/47) for pets. PCR positivity was 63% (82/131) among index cases and 23% (24/105) among human household contacts.
Pilot study with a small, likely self-selected cohort; pet sample return was low (51%), limiting zoonotic transmission analysis; the study period covered a single non-pandemic season, so generalizability to outbreak conditions is uncertain.
Household-based decentralized self-sampling for respiratory viruses is operationally feasible and could serve as a ready-made infrastructure for rapid data collection during future pandemics such as H5N1. Clinicians and public health planners should note that pet sampling remains a weak link requiring protocol improvement.
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