{"655262":{"#nid":"655262","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Surveillance Testing Shown to Reduce Community Covid-19 Spread","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECovid-19 is often asymptomatic and can lead infected individuals to spread the disease without knowing it. Yet, regular surveillance testing of a community can catch these cases and prevent outbreaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn early 2020, Georgia Tech researchers designed a saliva-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and encouraged community members to test weekly to track the health of the campus. Their strategy confirmed 62% of the campus\u2019\u0026nbsp;positive cases in the Fall 2020 semester. The method of surveillance testing \u2014 focusing on case clusters and then having patients isolate \u2014 reduced positivity rates from 4.1% in the beginning of the semester to below 0.5% mid-semester. Their findings were published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/epidem\/Abstract\/9000\/Surveillance_to_Diagnostic_Testing_Program_for.98198.aspx\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEpidemiology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the ways you can mitigate spread is not to think about testing as just an indicator for how bad things are, but actually use enough testing that you can begin to pull infected people out of circulation to reduce the spread,\u201d said Joshua Weitz, Georgia Tech professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E who developed the infectious disease models used to monitor campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESurveillance testing not only kept the community safe, but also enabled an open campus during a period of the pandemic when vaccines were not available. The strategy showed that combining multiple mitigation efforts \u2014 from testing to social distancing \u2014 can keep a university operational.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesigning the Test\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe program relied on saliva PCR tests compared to the more common nasal swab PCR tests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI saw data very early on that the saliva tests were actually probably a little bit more sensitive than the nasal ones,\u201d said Greg Gibson, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cI just knew that students would be more likely to do something that takes 30 seconds to give us spit. It\u2019s easy and safe, so it was just a no-brainer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESaliva-based tests were a practical solution for a campus. The test could be self-administered, requiring fewer medical personnel and creating ease of access for students. The tests were also safer than nasal swabs because the collection tube contained a viral deactivation buffer that killed active virus but preserved the RNA at room temperature for analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech campus biomedical research labs were also ideal for this type of test. Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, realized robotics labs could build and run tests and make the program scalable.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTesting requires precisely distributing different amounts of fluid to volumes, and this is a task really well suited for a robot,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cWith the large number of tests that we were expecting to need to administer, there was really no choice because having the robot really cut down on the human error.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother novel strategy was double pooling. Each saliva sample was pooled twice into a group of five samples and processed. This had multiple advantages, according to Gibson. One was it prevented false results because each sample had to test positive twice to be considered positive. And, by pooling, the testing system could clear dozens of individuals at once, while also focusing on a positive individual and then referring them for further diagnostic testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA purely surveillance test where you don\u0027t give anybody results can be done without much regulation, but it\u2019s minimally useful,\u201d said Gibson, who is a Regents\u2019 Professor, Tom and Marie Patton Chair in Biological Sciences, and serves as director of the Center for Integrative Genomics at Georgia Tech. \u201cThe double pooling strategy was a way for us to be able to identify exactly who was responsible for positive tests, and then go back to their original test and do a diagnostic one in a CLIA-certified lab.\u201d CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certification indicates a lab has met federal quality standards for diagnostic testing on human samples.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Testing Strategy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECreating an effective testing infrastructure was also key to the success of the program. A university is a high-density environment where a community lives, learns, and works. When the program was first implemented in the Fall 2020 semester, Georgia Tech had 7,370 people in residence and 5,000 students, faculty, and staff who visited daily.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the ability to run 1,500 tests at the beginning of the semester and up to 2,850 by the end, the program enabled most people on campus to test weekly. Testing weekly helped catch cases early with Covid-19\u2019s seven-day incubation period, and positive individuals isolated for 10 days.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of why this approach was so successful was because of what Gibson calls \u201csynergistic effectiveness.\u201d By combining testing with mitigation strategies like masking and social distancing, Georgia Tech was able to reduce positivity rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027ve shown that testing doesn\u0027t have to be comprehensive with everybody testing every other day to be effective,\u201d Gibson said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis strategy enabled the researchers to focus on campus hotspots and control spread. In the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, campus positivity was at 0.5% until a cluster was identified in Greek housing in August. This enabled a targeted campaign where 90% of on-campus residents were tested. The asymptomatic positivity rate peaked at 4.1%, but steadily declined back to 0.5% by mid-September thanks to rapid identification and isolation of positive individuals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are a technical university \u2014 that doesn\u0027t have a medical school or a school of public health \u2014 that developed its own effective testing program and was able to deploy it to test a large segment of the population and keep the campus in operation,\u201d said Garc\u00eda, who additionally holds the Petit Director\u2019s Chair in Bioengineering and Bioscience and is a Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDue to the success of surveillance testing, cases were kept at a manageable number. Most importantly, campus was able to stay open throughout the pandemic. The Georgia state legislature also adopted Georgia Tech\u2019s surveillance testing system in January 2021 and is using the program to track and manage cases during this year\u2019s legislative session. The strategy continues to keep Georgia Tech an active campus with in-person learning as the pandemic evolves. Ideally, the\u0026nbsp;program established at Georgia Tech will remain in place, prepared to deal quickly with future infectious disease epidemics should the need arise, according to Gibson.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe developed a program that in practice \u2013 and psychologically \u2013 provided a benefit to community members,\u201d said Weitz, who also serves as the Tom and Marie Patton Chair in Biological Sciences and co-director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Quantitative Biosciences. \u201cMany people could go get tested and know that they weren\u0027t infectious so that they had a less likely chance of infecting others. Or, if they did end up testing positive, they were able to isolate themselves so they didn\u0027t infect others. That is of significant benefit.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: G. Gibson, J.S. Weitz, M.P. Shannon et. al, \u201cSurveillance-to-Diagnostic Testing Program for Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections on a Large, Urban Campus in Fall 2020.\u201d (\u003Cem\u003EEpidemiology\u003C\/em\u003E, Dec. 2021)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDOI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/epidem\/Fulltext\/2022\/03000\/Surveillance_to_Diagnostic_Testing_Program_for.8.aspx\u0022\u003E10.1097\/EDE.0000000000001448\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E###\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Tess Malone\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contacts:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Parmelee | \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Georgia.Parmelee@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia.Parmelee@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSteven Norris | \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Stephen.Norris@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStephen.Norris@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn early 2020, Georgia Tech researchers designed a saliva-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and encouraged community members to test weekly to track the health of the campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In early 2020, Georgia Tech researchers designed a saliva-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and encouraged community members to test weekly to track the health of the campus. "}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2022-02-07 17:10:19","changed_gmt":"2024-02-20 20:38:00","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"655264":{"id":"655264","type":"image","title":"Student testing","body":null,"created":"1644254697","gmt_created":"2022-02-07 17:24:57","changed":"1644254697","gmt_changed":"2022-02-07 17:24:57","alt":"A student participates in Covid-19 surveillance testing.","file":{"fid":"248428","name":"21C10400-P3-005.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10400-P3-005.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10400-P3-005.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":449028,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/21C10400-P3-005.JPG?itok=ybxmlUyd"}},"655263":{"id":"655263","type":"image","title":"Covid Surveillance Lab","body":null,"created":"1644254394","gmt_created":"2022-02-07 17:19:54","changed":"1644254394","gmt_changed":"2022-02-07 17:19:54","alt":"Covid-19 Surveillance Lab","file":{"fid":"248426","name":"CovidSurviellanceLab.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CovidSurviellanceLab.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CovidSurviellanceLab.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":972793,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/CovidSurviellanceLab.JPG?itok=iRM1aI3J"}},"655266":{"id":"655266","type":"image","title":"Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda 22","body":null,"created":"1644255251","gmt_created":"2022-02-07 17:34:11","changed":"1644256616","gmt_changed":"2022-02-07 17:56:56","alt":"Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda","file":{"fid":"248429","name":"Andres Garcia-IBB headshot-v2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Andres%20Garcia-IBB%20headshot-v2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Andres%20Garcia-IBB%20headshot-v2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":598955,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Andres%20Garcia-IBB%20headshot-v2_0.jpg?itok=tsLlHP8g"}},"655270":{"id":"655270","type":"image","title":"Greg Gibson 22","body":null,"created":"1644256033","gmt_created":"2022-02-07 17:47:13","changed":"1644256220","gmt_changed":"2022-02-07 17:50:20","alt":"Greg Gibson","file":{"fid":"248431","name":"greg_gibson.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/greg_gibson.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/greg_gibson.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":234224,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/greg_gibson.jpeg?itok=q835EI5j"}},"655268":{"id":"655268","type":"image","title":"Joshua Weitz 22","body":null,"created":"1644255506","gmt_created":"2022-02-07 17:38:26","changed":"1644256236","gmt_changed":"2022-02-07 17:50:36","alt":"Joshua Weitz","file":{"fid":"248430","name":"Joshua Weitz - headshot copy 2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Joshua%20Weitz%20-%20headshot%20copy%202_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Joshua%20Weitz%20-%20headshot%20copy%202_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4948855,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Joshua%20Weitz%20-%20headshot%20copy%202_0.jpg?itok=pztDI-sP"}}},"media_ids":["655264","655263","655266","655270","655268"],"groups":[{"id":"620089","name":"Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection (CMDI)"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188231","name":"CMDI"},{"id":"187582","name":"go-ibb"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETess Malone\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tess.malone@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}