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Highlights from SYNLAB Germany | Protection against COVID-19 at work: SYNLAB introduces new PCR pooling test method for companies

DGAP-News: SYNLAB AG / Key word(s): Product Launch Highlights from SYNLAB Germany | Protection against COVID-19 at work: SYNLAB introduces new PCR pooling test method for companies 03.05.2021 / 10:39 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. SYNLAB Holding Germany GmbH Gubener Strasse 39 86156 Augsburg Press release

Highlights from SYNLAB Germany | Protection against COVID-19 at work: SYNLAB introduces new PCR pooling test method for companies

• Growing infection rates and the continuous spread of coronavirus variants increase the need for testing where contact between people takes place
• Pooling as a readily available, safe, and efficient test method to effectively protect employees with no option to work from home
• SYNLAB's new 7-pool method offers particularly high sensitivity and specificity for pooling measures
• Sensitivity gap of rapid antigen tests is increasingly problematic in the current pandemic and for testing of asymptomatic individuals

SYNLAB, the largest European clinical laboratory and medical diagnostic services provider, recommends the significant expansion of PCR testing at workplaces using the pooling method. Especially in view of the spread of more contagious virus variants, those people for whom working from home is not possible, should be protected by reliable and regular testing.

The necessary methods, capacities and infrastructure have been developed and expanded over the past year. Especially in the context of occupational medicine, the use of the efficient pooling method offers the possibility of carrying out regular PCR tests at the workplace. In this process, material from individual samples is pooled and tested together via PCR. If the overall result is negative, all samples are negative. If the result is positive, each sample in the pool is tested individually to identify positive samples. For the highest possible accuracy in pooling, SYNLAB has developed a new 7-pool method, which - unlike conventional pooling methods - has almost identical sensitivity and specificity as a single PCR test. Patients usually receive their results within 24 hours.