To evaluate the use of asymptomatic surveillance, we implemented a surveillance program for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in a voluntary sample of individuals at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Self-collected anterior nasal samples were tested using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in a 5:1 pooled testing strategy, twice weekly for 18 weeks. Positive pools were deconvoluted into individual tests, revealing an observed prevalence of 0.07% (3/4,525). Pooled testing allowed for large scale testing with an estimated cost savings of 79.3% and modeling demonstrated this testing strategy prevented up to 2 workplace transmission events, averting up to 4 clinical cases. At the study endpoint, antibody testing revealed 80.7% of participants had detectable vaccine antibody levels while 9.6% of participants had detectable antibodies to natural infection.
CITATION STYLE
Mladonicky, J., Bedada, A., Yoder, C., VanderWaal, K., Torrison, J., & Wells, S. J. (2022). Pooled surveillance testing for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital College, University of Minnesota, December 2020–April 2021. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.879107
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.