Optimal sample pooling: an efficient tool against SARS-CoV-2

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Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic situation has presented multiple imminent challenges to the nations around the globe. While health agencies around the world are exploring various options to contain the spread of this fatal viral infection, multiple strategies and guidelines are being issued to boost the fight against the disease. Identifying and isolating infected individuals at an early phase of the disease has been a very successful approach to stop the chain of transmission. But this approach faces a practical challenge of limited resources. Sample pooling solves this enigma by significantly improving the testing capacity and result turn around time while using no extra resources. However, the general sample pooling method also has the scope of significant improvements. This article describes a process to further optimize the resources with optimal sample pooling. This is a user-friendly technique, scalable on a national or international scale. A mathematical model has been built and validated for its performance using clinical data.

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  1. SciScore for 10.1101/2020.07.03.20145953: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    NIH rigor criteria are not applicable to paper type.

    Table 2: Resources

    No key resources detected.


    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).


    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.


    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.


    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.


    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

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