BENGALURU: Karnataka has been undertaking pool testing of corona samples for the past three weeks, in places where there is a low probability of Covid-19 infection. The prevalence rate is less than 2 per cent in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga and Hassan.
“As of May 13, 770 pool samples of 3,850 people have been taken in the state. Pool testing will be scaled up across the state, especially for asymptomatic international and inter-state returnees and also for surveillance purpose,” said health and family welfare department Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.
Nodal officer for Covid-19 testing Dr CN Manjunath, who is also director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said, “Samples of five patients suspected to have Covid-19 are put into a liquid, which is one testing pool. If it comes negative, it means all are negative. If it comes positive, all samples are individually tested again.
The advantage is that more samples can be tested using RT-PCR testing kits.” Reporting of cases is also faster in the case of pool testing of samples, and it helps save on testing kits, which have to be procured from the National Institute of Virology, Pune. As per a health department circular, it results in substantial cost saving when large pool tests negative.