Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 18: The health department, with the aim of detecting community infection of coronavirus early, proposes to undertake 'pool sample testing' in which swab samples of five persons are collected in a single sterile tube and testing is done together.

If the test result is positive, then the five persons are subjected to full scale detailed testing individually. If the result is negative, the department will conclude that none is infected. The health department has issued orders as per the guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research, and sought preference to be given to pool testing so that more people can be subjected to tests at a faster pace.

It said that for such tests, samples of people who display coronavirus symptoms should not be collected. This kind of test should not be conducted for those having primary contact with infected persons, health staff and people from containment areas having more than five percent positivity rate (more than five percent tested people proving positive), the department has said.