E-Paper
Punjab set to start pool testing from districts with less + cases
Pool testing will be done in districts where number of positive cases is less than 3% of total tests done
With the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allowing states to carry out pool testing for coronavirus, the Punjab government is likely to start the process on Friday from districts with low number of positive cases.
According to a senior official of health and family welfare department, pool testing will be done in the districts where the number of positive cases is less than 3% of the total tests done.
“A comprehensive plan is being chalked out for pool testing, which is likely to start tomorrow. We have districts such as Rupnagar, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Moga, Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib where pool testing can be started to increase number of tests. In these districts, only 20 to 100 tests have been done till date,” the official said, seeking anonymity.
WHAT IS POOL TESTING?
Pool testing is the process in which multiple samples from a particular community are taken in a single PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test in the laboratory.
“If the result of the test comes negative, it means all samples in the group are negative. If the result comes positive, sampling of every person in the pool is done individually using PCR tests,” as per the ICMR guidelines sent to states recently.
WHERE WILL BE POOL TESTING DONE IN PUNJAB?
Principal secretary, medical education and research, DK Tiwari, said the trials of the pool testing have already been conducted at two laboratories in government medical colleges in Amritsar and Patiala.
“We are in the process of conducting the trial in the laboratory of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot.”
He added that pool testing has been effective in checking the community transmission in Italy and Germany.
WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF POOL TESTING?
The ICMR guidelines say the pool testing can increase the capacity of the testing multifold. “If there is apprehension of a community spread in a particular area, multiple pool sampling from that area can bring you the factual position about the situation,” a health official said. Testing is so far being done individually using PCR screening.
HOW MANY SAMPLES CAN BE TESTED IN ONE POOL?
As per ICMR guidelines, not more than five samples should be taken together in pool testing. In India, Andaman and Nicobar administration has so far conducted pool testing for Covid-19.
