Sample pooling, a population screening strategy for SARS-CoV2 to prevent future outbreak and mitigate the “second-wave” of infection of the virus

Abstract

Problem: How do we manage treatment and stabilization in clinical settings and static population communities like assisted living facility settings of their patient or resident populations during and post the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic Scope: This proposal explores the possible and predicted changes to standard operating procedures to the facility management and associated landscape and focuses on series of deployments, during and post peak SARS-CoV-2 activity, and will outline possible models for the current medical facility model that we operate with. This article primarily focuses on non-emergency facility management. Assumptions and understanding of the field: With a reduction in the numbers nationally, patients are highly motivated and likely to seek non-emergency and planned medical procedural treatment as early as possible as social distancing measures are eased and restrictions on non-urgent procedures are lifted. Conclusions and next steps: An initial pan-national shutdown and suspension of services was necessary in an effort to ensure that essential medical services and resources were not strained. The authors feel that a strategic resumption of regular non-emergency treatments around the United States and continued provision of services at care facilities is possible with innovative testing strategies like pooled screening of large populations at a manageable price point. Moreover pooling as a strategy when used widely, would be extremely effective at predicting outbreaks of the virus and as an effect help in mitigating the spread of the virus in its second-wave