Gargle pool PCR testing in a hospital during medium and high SARS-CoV-2 incidence

Kheiroddin, Parastoo; Gaertner, Vincent D.; Schöberl, Patricia; Fischer, Eugen; Niggel, Jakob; Pagel, Philipp; Lampl, Benedikt; Ambrosch, Andreas; Kabesch, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2022.05.018

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…By testing Domspatzen members 2–3 time per week, not all infections could be detected in the asymptomatic state by gargle pool testing, which is to be expected due to the interval of testing and the rapid development of omicron infections because of the higher contagiousness of this variant. Indeed, the number of infections detected only in the symptomatic state per week is very comparable to other studies at the same time with the same method ( 14 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Also, the attitude towards measures such as testing may have been overly positive, as students were involved actively in the development of these methods and this may have biased their view on the usefulness of testing. On the other hand, similar results for the acceptance of the gargle pool testing were also achieved by questionnaire in a general school setting ( 9 ) and a hospital setting ( 14 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…When omicron became the dominating variant at the beginning of 2022, numerous students and staff members tested positive within the following months. However, the (estimated) incidence proportion was not different from other well tested populations ( 14 ) and furthermore, no super-spreading events in connection with choir practice or concerts were observed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

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Effects of infection control measures towards preventing SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in a German choir boarding school from March 2020 to April 2022

Lampl,

Schöberl,

Atzenbeck

et al. 2023

Front. Pediatr.

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BackgroundSinging in a choir was associated with larger outbreaks in the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Materials and methodsWe report on the effect and acceptance of various infection control measures on the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the world famous Domspatzen boys' choir from March 2020 to April 2022.ResultsIn addition to basic general hygiene measures, systematic rRT-PCR testing and scientifically approved concepts of distancing during singing were applied. While single infections of choir members could not be avoided, singing-related outbreaks were not observed. Until the Omicron variant emerged, potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the school was limited to only one case. Incidences at the school were never higher than in the comparable general population until then. While the impact of the pandemic on daily life and singing was rated as severe, especially by staff members, most students agreed with the usefulness of protection measures and rated them as acceptable. Students viewed regular testing as the most important tool to increase safety in the school.DiscussionA bundle of infection control measures including regular testing can prevent outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 even in the setting of choir singing. Measures are acceptable for choir members if they allow to continue with singing and performing.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

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Effects of infection control measures towards preventing SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in a German choir boarding school from March 2020 to April 2022

Lampl,

Schöberl,

Atzenbeck

et al. 2023

Front. Pediatr.

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“…New, more contagious variants lead to decreased incubation times, higher infection rates, and higher incidence, which can be countered by more frequent testing Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness combined with faster communication of results and implementation of isolation. 10 One could that conclusions about transmission are only based on 8 cases in a low incidence window of the pandemic. Indeed, this is a limitation in the analysis and interpretation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of COVID-19 Infection Chains in a School Setting: Data From a School-Based rRT-PCR–Gargle Pool Test System

Gruendl

Kheiroddin

Althammer

et al. 2023

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Background: School testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was implemented in some countries to monitor and prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmissions. Here, we analyze infection chains in primary schools and household members of infected students based on systematic real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase-chain-reaction (rRT-PCR)–gargle pool testing. Methods: Students and school staff (N = 4300) of all 38 primary schools in the rural county of Cham, Germany, were tested twice per week with a gargle pool rRT-PCR system from April to July of 2021. Infection chains of all 8 positive cases identified by school testing were followed up. Results: In total, 8 positive cases were found by gargle pool PCR testing based on 96,764 school tests. While no transmissions occurred in the school setting, 20 of 27 household members of the 8 cases tested positive. The overall attack rate was 74.1% in families. Conclusions: No school outbreaks occurred during the study period. All cases but 1 were initially picked up by school testing. No transmission from school to families was observed.

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“…The chip design produces accurate amplification results with little departure from the expected values, as indicated by a low average square of difference. To achieve precise DNA amplification while designing microfluidic PCR chips, a low average square of difference must be attained [76]. A low value denotes effective reaction parameter control by the chip design, including control of temperature, reagent concentrations, and fluid flow, leading to accurate and dependable amplification [77].…”

Section: (C)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Microfluidic PCR Chip Device Using CFD Software for the Detection of Malaria

Austria,

Garcia,

Caparanga

et al. 2023

Computation

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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is one of the molecular methods in amplifying DNA for the detection of malaria. However, the collection and transportation of samples and the processing and dissemination of results via conventional PCR, especially when used for routine clinical practice, can hamper the technique’s sensitivity and specificity. The rampancy of such disease in the Philippines is aggravated by the limited supply of medical machinery and the poor economic state of the country; thus, the need to innovate a device for the early detection of malaria is necessary. With that, this study focuses on designing a microfluidic device that will mimic the function of a conventional genus-specific PCR based on the 18S rRNA gene to detect malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) at low-grade parasitemia. The design was intended to be portable, accessible, and economical, which none from past literature has dealt with specifically for malaria detection. This in silico design is a first in the country specially crafted for such reasons. The proposed device was developed and simulated using ANSYS software for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses. The simulation shows that adding loops to the design increases its relative deviation but minimally compared to having only a straight path design. This indicates that looping is acceptable in designing a microfluidic device to minimize chip length. It was also found that increasing the cross-sectional area of the fluid path decreases the efficiency of the design. Lastly, among the three materials utilized, the chip made of polypropylene is the most efficient, with a relative deviation of 0.94 compared to polycarbonate and polydimethylsiloxane, which have relative deviations of 2.78 and 1.92, respectively. Future researchers may mesh the 44-cycle microfluidic chip due to the limitations of the software used in this study, and other materials, such as biocomposites, may be assessed to broaden the application of the design.

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Gargle pool PCR testing in a hospital during medium and high SARS-CoV-2 incidence

Cited by 5 publications

References 8 publications

Effects of infection control measures towards preventing SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in a German choir boarding school from March 2020 to April 2022

Effects of infection control measures towards preventing SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in a German choir boarding school from March 2020 to April 2022

Analysis of COVID-19 Infection Chains in a School Setting: Data From a School-Based rRT-PCR–Gargle Pool Test System

Designing Microfluidic PCR Chip Device Using CFD Software for the Detection of Malaria

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