Director Lee Nam-woo's Fieldwork Leads to KCDC Adopting Pooled Testing Method

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has decided to adopt the specimen pooling test method for COVID-19, which was first introduced by the military. The testing method, initially conducted on military personnel, will now be expanded to the entire population. Lee Nam-woo, Director of the Ministry of National Defense's Personnel Welfare Office, played a decisive role in the adoption of this plan.

Here is the situation. Last month, when COVID-19 spread rapidly, the military also went on high alert. The issue was not only with active-duty soldiers but also the risk posed if a confirmed COVID-19 case entered the training camp, potentially endangering all trainees. The problem was particularly acute for conscripts from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. The Armed Forces Medical Research Institute proposed an idea: to group specimens from four trainees who were highly likely to be negative and test them together. If the virus was detected, each of the four would then be tested individually.

Initially, there was much controversy over this method. The act of mixing specimens was unfamiliar and met with resistance. Director Lee said, "The military originally developed this method as a desperate measure because the testing capacity in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions was overwhelmed." He added, "There is concern about contamination during the mixing process, but contamination would only result in a positive test, never a falsely clean negative. Conversely, if a positive specimen is mixed, it cannot be diluted to a negative result."

Although confident in the testing method, Director Lee faced challenges. He began persuading acquaintances in the quarantine authorities, including the KDCA, by making phone calls. More effort was required. He instructed staff within the Personnel Welfare Office to advocate for the method to the quarantine authorities, and Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo also lent support by formally requesting it at a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.

Director Lee said, "Pooling tests are primarily used in clinical trials on animals, so the quarantine authorities were initially skeptical. However, I was confident that this was the best method verified within the military to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

Ultimately, the KDCA adopted the pooling test method on the 9th. The KDCA collaborated with three medical institutions affiliated with the Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine, conducting 650 evaluation tests to tailor the method to Korea's circumstances.

Director Lee predicted that the pooling test method could be applied in other countries as well. He said, "The pooling test method is also introduced in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). I hope it can help countries with limited testing capacity."