Beyond Costs: Pragmatic Considerations for Pooling of SARS-CoV-2 Test Samples for Nursing Home Surveillance

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03880-22
• Publication Date: 2023-02-01T14:56:28Z
• Authors: Gabrielle M. Gussin; Raveena D. Singh; Delia F. Tifrea; Thomas Tjoa; Cassiana E. Bitte...; Robert A. Edwards; Edwin S. Monuki; Susan S. Huang
• Keywords: Pooling; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Sample (material)

Pooling of samples can increase throughput and reduce costs for large-scale SARS-CoV-2 testing when incidence is low. In a cross-sectional study serial sampling staff residents at three nursing homes, laboratory labor constraints limited the feasibility pooling prior to maximal that favored cost savings.