Health Ministry issues guidelines for RT-PCR pool sampling for migrants

Health and Family Welfare Ministry has taken a decision to use one time RT-PCR based pooled sampling for surveillance purposes of migrant workers and international passengers who are in institutional quarantine facilities. The pooled sampling will also be conducted for surveillance purpose in green zones districts which have not reported any corona case in last 21 days.

Ministry has issued a guideline for RT-PCR based pooled sampling for migrants, returnees from abroad and green zones.



The guidelines state that a cohort of 25 people will be identified and throat or nasal swab will be collected as per Indian Council for Medical Research’s protocol. The pooled samples from 25 specimens shall be tested in the laboratory by RT-PCR method and the report will be conveyed to the quarantine facility within 24 hours. If any of the pooled samples tests positive, individual samples would be tested from the samples preserved in the laboratory.