India is gearing up to initiate pool testing for Covid-19 to speed up the results, augment capacity and reduce the workload on the laboratories, reports Economic Times.

Pool testing method involves putting multiple swab samples together and testing them in a single go using RT-PCR test for confirmation. If the samples test negative, it is clear that all the persons involved have tested negative. However, if the samples test is positive, the ones whose swabs were used would then have to be tested separately to identify the particular positive cases.

It should be noted that researchers from Israel have demonstrated that using a combined sample of as many as 64 persons in one go for pool testing can significantly speed up results and also bring down the costs involved.

Furthermore, the government is also said to have rushed a team of experts consisting doctors, epidemiologists and microbiologists to various states which are witnessing increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases to carry out the conduction of pool testing in direly affected areas to contain the infection.