TNPSC Thervupettagam

First State to start Pool Testing

April 18 , 2020 1557 days 929 0
  • The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) gave permission for the state of Uttar Pradesh to start pool testing of COVID-19.
  • With this, UP has become the first state to start pool testing.
  • Pool testing is being done in the state to increase the number of testing.
  • Under pool testing, the samples will be mixed and tested.
  • A pooled testing algorithm involves the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) screening of a specimen pool comprising multiple individual patient specimens.
  • It is followed by individual testing only if a pool screens positive. 
  • As all individual samples in a negative pool are regarded as negative, it results in substantial cost savings when a large proportion of pools tests negative.

Need of Pool testing

  • This will reduce the total test kits used to examine patients and treat them.
  • It increases the testing capacity of a state. 
  • The pooling test samples is cost effective, especially for the countries with limited resources.
  • It can be used to prevent community spread of the disease.

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