Fauci hints at a new approach to COVID-19 testing

Anthony FauciAnthony Fauci Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Senator Amy Klobuchar says Trump fears losing if voters can mail their ballots; US COVID-19 Cases Reach Highest Levels Since April IMF Cuts Global Growth Forecast Amid Increasing Coronavirus Cases Most Concerned About Reopening of Schools: MORE Survey, the nation’s leading infectious disease doctor, said federal health officials are considering a new strategy for coronavirus testing as cases increase in states across the country.

Fauci told The Washington Post in an interview Thursday night that officials are having “intense discussions” about adopting a technique known as pooled sampling, which groups COVID-19 evidence from multiple individuals to increase the ability of test.

Under this approach, if the virus is not detected in a combined test tube, all patients can be considered negative; If positive, each sample is analyzed individually.

“What you have to do is find the penetration of infected people into your society,” said Fauci. “And the only way to find out is to launch a wide network.”

The technique of pooling samples from multiple patients, usually between five and 20, was a pioneer in fighting a syphilis outbreak during World War II and has since been used in tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other viruses. The Chinese authorities are using the technique to test COVID-19.

Fauci’s comments came the same day the United States set a new daily record for coronavirus cases. His comments also followed an announcement that tThe White House Coronavirus Task Force hold a press conference Friday is the first in about two months.