In the first day of the application of group testing method in Da Nang on Friday, about 900 combined swap samples were taken from 3,300 residents living in the deadly virus-hit districts of Son Tra, Hai Chau and Hoa Vang.

About 900 combined swap samples were taken from 3,300 residents living in the deadly virus-hit districts of Son Tra, Hai Chau and Hoa Vang for Covid-19 group testing

According to doctor Ton That Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC), by testing samples from many people at once, this method is the fastest and cheapest way to increase novel coronavirus screening as it can save time, chemical reagents and money.

Placing swabs from multiple individuals in a single test gets more people diagnosed using fewer supplies.

For more explanations, instead of testing one person at a time, samples from multiple individuals would be mixed together and tested as one.  If the test comes back negative, everyone in the pool is clear.  If positive, each member of the pool is then tested individually-thus cutting down on the total number of tests.

However, suspected cases or F1 contacts are still individually tested for the most straightforward results.

Till date, more than 37,000 residents in Da Nang have been taken their swab samples test for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

Meanwhile, 17,000 people who were in contacts with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases have been put into quarantine in order to prevent further potential infections.

The testing is being deployed on a large scale in the community, with the priority given to cases that linked to the blockaded Da Nang General Hospital in July.

By PHAN CHUNG – Translated by A.T