A rapid and highly effective approach for SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid daily testing in more than four thousand single‐tube samples

BackgroundPresently, the global spread of COVID‐19 is still going on, with more than 0.6 million new cases confirmed per day (as of November 20, 2021). However, since China entered a post‐epidemic phase in mid‐March 2020, the daily number of new domestic infections in the Chinese mainland has been maintained at almost zero or single digits, which was attributed to a series of effective measures for COVID‐19 prevention and control adopted by the Chinese government. Among these measures, SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid testing holds key role for the timely confirmation and isolation of the infections to prevent further transmission.MethodsReferring to the national policy requirements, since April 30, 2020, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University has conducted SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid testing in its PCR laboratory for patients and social workers, as well as for environmental monitoring and employee screening. As of mid‐November 2020, the daily amount of single‐tube samples for nucleic acid testing rose above 4,000.ResultsIn this article, a rapid and highly effective approach for SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid daily testing is presented, allowing five technicians to complete nucleic acid testing in 6,500 single‐tube samples in one day with a high level of quality. Using this approach, since the samples entered the PCR laboratory, all testing results were reported in 2.5–3 h with satisfactory quality control and precise reporting criterion as prerequisites.ConclusionThis testing approach provides a referable workflow for other testing institutions and is expected to play an important role in COVID‐19 prevention and control.