Diagnostic Value and Outcomes of Systematic SARS-CoV-2 Screening in Asymptomatic Patients

What diagnostic value and clinical outcomes are associated with universal SARS-CoV-2 screening of asymptomatic patients, and is test positivity correlated with community incidence levels and wastewater viral loads?In this cohort study including 75 667 tests among 42 666 patients, 1.2% had positive results, 36.5% of which were false positives. Test positivity was strongly correlated with community incidence and wastewater viral load, and false-positive results were associated with unnecessary isolation, increased exposure risk, and delays in interventions.Universal screening may support infection control during high community transmission but has limited benefit and potential harms during low-incidence periods.

Corresponding Author: Sarah Tschudin-Sutter, MD, MSc, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland (sarah.tschudin@usb.ch).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.