Table 1.

Comparison of Individual Sample Screening versus Mass Population Screening Approach in the United States for COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 detection kit	Screening approach	Patients tested in one run/plate, N	LOD, copies/mL	Probability of number of samples positive in US population screening	Additional reactions to be performed, N	940 Patients tested in following number of reactions	Runs to screen 940 patients, N
PerkinElmer Inc.	Individual sample screening	94	20	0.51	0	940	10
	Mass population screening	940	200	5.16	20	118	2
US CDC	Individual sample screening	30	5–10	0.033	0	940	32
	Mass population screening	300	50–100	0.33	10	133	7

COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; LOD, limit of detection; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.