Assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of household-pooled universal testing to control COVID-19 epidemics

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008688
• Publication Date: 2021-03-09T18:23:44Z
• Authors: Pieter J. K. Libin; Lander Willem; Timothy Verstraeten; Andrea Torneri; Joris Vanderlocht; Niel Hens
• Keywords: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Pandemic

Outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 are threatening the health care systems several countries around world. The initial control epidemics relied on non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing, teleworking, mouth masks and contact tracing. However, pre-symptomatic transmission remains an important driver epidemic, tracing efforts struggle to fully epidemics. Therefore, in this work, we investigate what extent use universal testing, i.e., approach which screen entire population, can be utilized mitigate epidemic. To end, rely PCR test pooling individuals that belong same households, allow for a testing procedure is feasible with limited capacity. We evaluate two isolation strategies: one hand pool , where isolate all positive pool, other individual determine positive, through additional step. STRIDE individual-based epidemiological model context Belgian COVID-19 As organisation will challenging, discuss different aspects related sample extraction demonstrate feasibility when decentralized used. show simulation, weekly able even many reductions relieved. Finally, our shows combination stringent could considered strategy eradicate virus.