Resource Optimization Through Group Testing in the Detection of Asymptomatic People with COVID-19

Abstract

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a serious global public health problem. Detection and isolation of people infected with the virus is crucial to public health measures. Hitherto, the real-time PCR (RT-PCR) test is the most useful method for viral detection, although high cost of performance and low supplies have limited testing. New ways to optimize RT-PCR testing performance must be achieved since many million tests have been performed almost exclusively on individual basis. We present the results of a pooling method for testing to optimize resources.Methods: Groups of two to 27 people with no COVID-19 symptoms were tested by RT-PCR. Positive groups were re-analyzed individually, and positive groups were compared to obtain the maximum number of persons per group to achieve optimal resource utilization.Results: Groups of four to six people were found optimal for resources optimization, up to 67%. Groups with higher or lower number of people had results from 37% and 47% that implied higher economic expenses.Conclusion: Group testing of 4 to 6 persons for COVID-19 by RT-PCR are practical and optimize time and economical resources for detection of asymptomatic people infected by the virus.Funding: None to declare. Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest of any kind.Ethical Approval: The protocol was approved by the research department of the General Hospital of Mexico Eduardo Liceaga of Mexico City (Approval number DI / 20/405103150).