Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

October 1, 2020

Real-Time Screening of Specimen Pools for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection at Sanya Airport, Hainan Island, China

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  • A 10:1 pooled test strategy for nasopharyngeal swabs was used to screen airline passengers arriving in China. Among 944 specimens collected and tested for RNA using the Xpert Xpress assay, the pooled approach identified 2 positive individuals who were immediately quarantined, which resulted in no local contacts in China. The pooled approach saved 827 (87.6%) test cartridges, 3 hours of staff time, and nearly $50,000 in costs. The authors conclude that implementing pooled testing on-site for SARS-CoV-2 detection could increase test throughput, limit the use of reagents, increase overall testing efficiency without significant loss of sensitivity, and may limit the need for contact tracing.

Li et al. (Sept 30, 2020). Real-Time Screening of Specimen Pools for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection at Sanya Airport, Hainan Island, China. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1074