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Efficient SARS-CoV-2 Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase PCR Saliva Diagnostic Strategy utilizing Open-Source Pipetting Robots
Published on: February 11, 2022
Mobile PCR-based surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 to reduce visiting restrictions in nursing homes during the COVID-19
Jannik Stemler1,2,3, Theresa Kramer1,2, Vassiliki Dimitriou1,2,3
1Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM), University of Cologne, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Purpose:
Residents in nursing homes for the elderly (NH) are at high risk for death from COVID-19. We investigated whether repeated non-mandatory RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 surveillance of NH staff and visitors reduces COVID-19 incidence rates in NH residents and allows to reduce visiting restrictions.
Methods:
This pilot study at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic compared a surveillance approach of regular, twice-weekly voluntary PCR testing of health-care workers (HCW) and visitors in interventional NH (INH) with a setting without regular testing in control NH (CNH). Residents were not tested routinely within this study. Testing was performed in a mobile testing site with same-day result reporting. SARS-CoV-2 incidence among residents in both INH and CNH was the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints being SARS-CoV-2 infection among visitors and HCW in INH.
Results:
Two INH and two CNH participated between October and December, 2020. At INH1, 787 tests of HCW and 350 tests of visitors were performed, accounting for 18.1% (n = 1930) of visits. At INH2, 78 tests of HCW and 372 tests of visitors were done, i.e., 30.5% (n = 1220) of visits. At the two INH 23 HCW and three visitors tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 outbreaks occurred among residents in INH1 (identified through study testing) and in CNH1. Utilization of voluntary testing was low.
Conclusion:
In a real-world setting without available rapid testing, voluntary RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 testing of HCW and visitors does not prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in NH. Complete, non-selective testing for these groups should be instituted before visiting restrictions can be reduced.
Trial Registration:
The study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier: NCT04933981.
