Classroom pooling is a method of classroom testing where lower nasal swab specimens from everyone in a class are mixed together and tested with a single molecular test. This gives schools and districts population-level data to make informed public health decisions at a fraction of the cost of individual testing plans.
This is a self-collected anterior nasal (AN) swab. Unlike a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, which reaches deep into the nose to take a sample from the back of the throat, an AN sample is taken from the lower part of the front of the nose, at least half an inch inside the nostril. This method both increases comfort and requires less PPE than NP swabs. Instead of a healthcare provider collecting the student samples, students can easily collect their own samples under teacher supervision.