Pool Strategy for Surveillance Testing of SARS-CoV-2

NICOLAS PREGI; ADALI PECCI; FELIPE MARCECA; MARIA GABRIELA BARBAS; ETCHENIQUE, ROBERTO; LUCIANA ROCHA VIEGAS; DANIELA HOZBOR

Science Reviews from the end of the world

Asociación Argentina para el Progreso de la Ciencia

Lugar: buenos aires; Año: 2021 vol. 2 p. 42 - 56

2683-9288

Due to the great morbidity and mortality in the risk groups of the pandemic COVID-19caused by the emerging coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and in the absence of effectivetherapeutic or preventive measures, quarantines, social distancing and the useof masks were the measures most used by health systems to reduce infections.The social, economic and health impact caused by these measures have begunto be evaluated in the different countries. These analyses lead to underestimationsbecause in general they evaluate disease confirmed by a laboratory test and in somecases by epidemiological link without considering asymptomatic or oligosymptomaticinfection.Therefore, mitigating fast circulation of the virus requires continuous tracking, detection, and isolation of cases, for which activesurveillance able to address asymptomatic cases can make a valuable contribution over the dynamics of the disease in a givensociety, and to allocate adequate health resources and evaluate the effectiveness of control measures.Mathematical models such as the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed (SEIR) allow not only to improve the estimates of theevolution of the pandemic at the local level, but also to evaluate health strategies. In the context of large testing requirements andthe expansion of such testing capacity, it is also essential to develop approaches that improve the efficient use of these resources.Active surveillance undoubtedly contributes to improving estimates of virus circulation and it is of particular importance in vulnerablegroups of high population density that have one or more risk factors, difficult access to the health system, and inhabit semi-closedfacilities such as residential care homes, mental hospitals, prison houses, police stations housing prisoners, etc.Group testing strategies are especially useful for routine community survey and for monitoring of cohesive groups. While thefrequency of infection in a population, who have only some symptoms compatible with the disease or do not have any symptoms,may be low, diagnosing even a single positive person typically requires quarantine of the entire group to prevent further spreadin the community. In these surveillance strategies, pooling may allow more routine monitoring and detection of low frequency ofcarriage, thereby improving estimates, informing policy makers, reducing transmission, and alleviating the strain on healthcareservices