<p>As the number of COVID-19 cases is set to surge past 10,000, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday issued an advisory to use pooled tests for multiple swab samples per kit to scale up testing for the disease.</p>.<p>However, such pooled tests are to be conducted in areas with a low prevalence of COVID-19 to ascertain the actual spread of the disease in India.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-lockdown-in-focus-as-indias-tally-goes-past-5800-global-toll-crosses-85000-817763.html" target="_blank">For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</a></strong></p>.<p>The ICMR has recommended pooling no more than five samples at one time to avoid the effect of dilution and false negatives.</p>.<p>Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Uttar Pradesh have already embarked on pooled testing to enhance the testing capacity within limited resources. “Doing more with less is important while Andaman fights COVID-19. We pool samples thus using one-fourth of test kits. Thus more tests on average in our islands,” Chetan Sanghi, Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said on Twitter.</p>.<p>If the pooled sample tests positive for COVID-19, the samples will be tested individually to find out which of the five samples has been infected.</p>.<p>“All individual samples in a negative pool to be regarded as negative. Deconvoluted testing is recommended if any of the pools is positive,” the ICMR advisory said.</p>.<p>It said the objective of pooled tests was to increase the capacity of the laboratories to screen increased numbers of samples using molecular testing for COVID-19 for the purpose of surveillance.</p>
<p>As the number of COVID-19 cases is set to surge past 10,000, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday issued an advisory to use pooled tests for multiple swab samples per kit to scale up testing for the disease.</p>.<p>However, such pooled tests are to be conducted in areas with a low prevalence of COVID-19 to ascertain the actual spread of the disease in India.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-lockdown-in-focus-as-indias-tally-goes-past-5800-global-toll-crosses-85000-817763.html" target="_blank">For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</a></strong></p>.<p>The ICMR has recommended pooling no more than five samples at one time to avoid the effect of dilution and false negatives.</p>.<p>Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Uttar Pradesh have already embarked on pooled testing to enhance the testing capacity within limited resources. “Doing more with less is important while Andaman fights COVID-19. We pool samples thus using one-fourth of test kits. Thus more tests on average in our islands,” Chetan Sanghi, Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said on Twitter.</p>.<p>If the pooled sample tests positive for COVID-19, the samples will be tested individually to find out which of the five samples has been infected.</p>.<p>“All individual samples in a negative pool to be regarded as negative. Deconvoluted testing is recommended if any of the pools is positive,” the ICMR advisory said.</p>.<p>It said the objective of pooled tests was to increase the capacity of the laboratories to screen increased numbers of samples using molecular testing for COVID-19 for the purpose of surveillance.</p>
