Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

May 13, 2020

Pre-Procedural Surveillance Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in an Asymptomatic Population Shows Low Rates of Positivity

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  • Among University of Washington Medical Center asymptomatic patients screened prior to admission and patients screened prior to surgical or aerosolizing procedures, a very low proportion tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.  
  • Among 349 asymptomatic patients tested at admission, 0.9% (n=3) were positive and 0.6% (n=2) were inconclusive. Among 350 patients undergoing surgical or aerosolizing procedures, 0.9% (n=3) were positive. Among 157 asymptomatic patients tested for any other reason, 7.6% (n=12) were positive and 0.6% (n=1) was inconclusive.  
  • By comparison, among 473 inpatients with any symptom of COVID-19, 14.3% (n=68) were positive during a time period when the outpatient prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 active infection was 3-5%. 

Mays et al. (May 12, 2020). Pre-Procedural Surveillance Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in an Asymptomatic Population Shows Low Rates of Positivity. Pre-print downloaded May 13 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.08.20078592