Introduction: Testing for active SARS-CoV-2 infection is a fundamental tool in the public health measures taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the overwhelming use of SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription (RT)-PCR tests worldwide, the availability of test kits has become a major bottleneck and the need to increase testing throughput is rising. We aim to overcome these challenges by pooling samples together, and performing RNA extraction and RT-PCR in pools. Methods: We tested the efficiency and sensitivity of pooling strategies for RNA extraction and RT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2. We tested 184 samples both individually and in pools to estimate the effects of pooling. We further implemented Dorfman pooling with a pool size of eight samples in large-scale clinical tests. Results: We demonstrated pooling strategies that increase testing throughput while maintaining high sensitivity. A comparison of 184 samples tested individually and in pools of eight samples showed that test results were not significantly affected. Implementing the eight-sample Dorfman pooling to test 26 576 samples from asymptomatic individuals, we identified 31 (0.12%) SARS-CoV-2 positive samples, achieving a 7.3-fold increase in throughput. Discussion: Pooling approaches for SARS-CoV-2 testing allow a drastic increase in throughput while maintaining clinical sensitivity. We report the successful large-scale pooled screening of asymptomatic

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Purpose The adoption of knowledge management (KM) to steer new skills and capabilities among people provides evidence that KM not only offers competitive advantages but also provides a means for organisational survival, by improvising core capabilities or generate new ones that can drive people in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era. This paperaim to identify critical new skills and capabilities among people within an organisation to stay competitive, innovative and relevant. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents the findings on new skills assessment for Fourth Industrial Revolution. The study was carried out through an interview with a focus group discussion technique to gather data on the role of KM in creating new set of skills or capabilities in Fourth Industrial Revolution’s landscape. The study also reports a bibliographic study of critical skills based on more than a decade of related academic and industry publications to portray research trends and future directions. Findings There is a demand in “must-have” skills related to Industry 4.0 such as capability for complex decision-making, complex problem-solving, collaborative innovation, project management, creativity and critical thinking, social skill and social responsibility. While these skills are critical enablers to aiding individuals in the scenarios of plausible 4IR futures, several important new research trends that emerge have also not been adequately explored including KM and Industry 4.0 skill gap, skill evolution, machine knowledge, intuitive decision-making, rational decision-making, technostress, digital fluency, collaborative innovation, industrial policies, human–machine interaction and societal systems. Research limitations/implications This research provides a roadmap for the next research trends and topics in the area of Fourth Industrial Revolution and new skills requirements. The study discusses some of the essential issues and challenges with upskilling required for Industry 4.0. It also focuses on how upskilling learning initiatives influence new knowledge creation. This primarily contributes to the educational field in deciding how and when to adopt appropriate strategies and identify which initiatives to best meet the needs of its community. Practical implications KM enables individuals to utilise their existing core capabilities or generate new ones for immediate investment in upskilling to meet current and future skills needs required by an organisation. Simply put, KM will improve the organisation’s talent-driven learning strategy and increase individuals’ ability to learn faster and attain sustainable competitive advantage in a fast-paced ever changing environment. Originality/value This paper is useful to academics, practitioners and policymakers in the fields of KM. The research provides initial insight into new skills mapping in the context of Fourth Industrial Revolution and the needs for researchers to understand the recent research trends in KM.

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