Pooled versus individual nucleic acid amplification testing for detection of active SARS-CoV-2 infection (Protocol)

Testing for active infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an essential component of effective public health responses to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (1-8). Prompt isolation of suspected symptomatic COVID-19 cases and general infection control measures such as hand hygiene and social distancing remain key public health interventions. Additionally, it is now widely
recognised that confirmation of active SARS-CoV-2 infection in pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals is crucial to contain transmission both in hospitals and in the community (4). Population surveillance, screening of those working with, or in, high-risk populations (7-8) and contact tracing (5-6) will be important strategies to prevent and control future outbreaks. However, rapid intensification of testing in many countries has led to shortages of molecular diagnostics and reagents, and places substantial burdens on laboratory systems with limited capacity (1). There is an urgent need to develop and validate approaches, which can overcome resource constraints and the practical challenges of testing large numbers of people (1).