{"title":"The best pooling strategy to reduce polymerase chain reaction tests during the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic at low prevalence.","authors":"Chen-Lun Chu, Tai-Yin Wu, Sheng-Mou Hou, Kao-Shang Shih, Yo-Lun Chu, Cheng-Kuang Chen, Li-Wei Hung, Hao-Wei Hsu, Chen-Kun Liaw","doi":"10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_244_24","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Pooling can reduce reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Pooling strategy is a complex issue. Recent advances in computer science may provide a better strategy.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We developed our algorithm which can help healthcare workers set up their pooling policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Comparing with three other strategies, naming single pooling, array pooling, and hypercube pooling, our multiple pooling shows to be the best with minimal RT-PCR tests per patient.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We hope clinicians in COVID-19 pandemic regions can use our algorithm to reduce both RT-PCR tests and time and hence save more lives.</p>","PeriodicalId":45873,"journal":{"name":"Tzu Chi Medical Journal","volume":"37 3","pages":"299-303"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12306868/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Tzu Chi Medical Journal","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_244_24","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/7/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Pooling can reduce reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Pooling strategy is a complex issue. Recent advances in computer science may provide a better strategy.
Materials and methods: We developed our algorithm which can help healthcare workers set up their pooling policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: Comparing with three other strategies, naming single pooling, array pooling, and hypercube pooling, our multiple pooling shows to be the best with minimal RT-PCR tests per patient.
Conclusion: We hope clinicians in COVID-19 pandemic regions can use our algorithm to reduce both RT-PCR tests and time and hence save more lives.
期刊介绍:
The Tzu Chi Medical Journal is the peer-reviewed publication of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, and includes original research papers on clinical medicine and basic science, case reports, clinical pathological pages, and review articles.