Pooled Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Hospitalized Patients

Link to article at PubMed

J Hosp Med. 2020 Jul;15. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3501.

ABSTRACT

Viral testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), particularly early in the COVID-19 pandemic, was limited by supply of reagents. We pooled nasopharyngeal samples from patients at low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in groups of 3 for testing. Three weeks of testing using this strategy resulted in 530 patient tests in 179 cartridges; 4 positive test groups required the use of 11 additional cartridges with an overall positive rate of 0.8% in a low-risk population. This strategy resulted in the use of 340 fewer cartridges than if each test were performed on one patient sample. Pooled testing of low-risk populations allows for continued testing even when supplies are relatively scarce.

PMID:32816669 | DOI:10.12788/jhm.3501

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