Efficiency of pooled surveillance testing in academic labs to detect and inhibit COVID-19 outbreaks.
Bioanalysis
; 13(15): 1177-1182, 2021 Aug.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1346628
ABSTRACT
Robust surveillance testing is a key strategic plan to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; however, limited resources, facilities and time often impair the implementation of a widespread surveillance effort. To mitigate these resource limitations, we employed a strategy of pooling samples, reducing reagent cost and processing time. Through utilizing academic faculty and labs, successful pooled surveillance testing was conducted throughout Fall 2020 semester to detect positive SARS-CoV-2 infections in a population of 4400 students. During the semester, over 25,000 individual COVID status evaluations were made by pooling eight individual samples into one quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. This pooled surveillance strategy was highly effective at detecting infection and significantly reduced financial burden and cost by $3.6 million.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Mass Screening
/
Disease Outbreaks
/
COVID-19 Testing
/
COVID-19
/
Laboratories
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Bioanalysis
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Bio-2021-0054
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