Sample pooling: burden or solution?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pool-testing strategies combine samples from multiple people and test them as a group. A pool-testing approach may shorten the screening time and increase the test rate during times of limited test availability and inadequate reporting speed. Pool testing has been effectively used for a wide variety of infectious disease screening settings. Historically, it originated from serological testing in syphilis. During the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, pool testing is considered across the globe to inform opening strategies and to monitor infection rates after the implementation of interventions.

Aims

This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the global efforts to implement pool testing, specifically for COVID-19 screening.

SUBMITTER: Grobe N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9477502 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature