The Trump Administration has approved a new test processing protocol that would allow labs to “group test” sample from various people together, which would be individually tested if the pooled sample tests positive, Politico reports.
Quest Diagnostics received FDA approval for the new test processing approach, for a maximum of four test samples in each pool. The goal is to reduce the backlog of samples that now has some results delivered up to seven days after testing.
With the US spiking to all-time highs in daily reported new cases, the group testing process will not be advantageous in areas that are having outbreaks, where the likelihood of group tests would require individual samples to be tested separately.
But in areas of lower per capita infections currently not experiencing a spike, the group testing approach could preserve vital resources and speed results.
Such a process could increase the testing capacity in the US from 20 million daily tests to as many as 100 million daily tests, HHS testing czar Brett Giroir. Public health experts have said massive increases in the nation’s testing capacity are needed to help ensure a safe re-opening process.
Group testing, however, does not address the fallibility of the tests, some of which have a substantial false negative rate.