Fig. 2: Overall performance of pooled saliva testing for universal screening of cCMV.

a, Percentage of live newborn infants tested using (individual saliva sample testing-based) targeted screening (Targeted, gray), during the transition from individual saliva sample targeted screening to universal pooled saliva screening (Pilot, light gray with green outline) and since the routine implementation of universal pooled testing (Universal, green, beginning in April 2022). The wide and narrow bars represent 3-month and 1-month periods, respectively. b, Comparison of the CMV gB Ct values of the pool (green triangle) and the individual samples within the pool (gray circles) for the 65 positive pools that had a gB Ct value (Extended Data Fig. 2). Samples with undetected Ct values are shown at the top. Bold pool IDs represent pools that did not have any positive sample after individual saliva PCR testing (for gB or IE). Pool 3666 had a single positive sample that was detected only using the IE gene PCR, marked by a single asterisk. c, Linear regression plot showing the relationship between the Ct values of 47 positive eight-sample pools (y axis) and the Ct values of the corresponding single positive samples in the pools (x axis). Each green dot represents a positive pool and its corresponding individual positive sample. Linear regression with a predetermined slope of 1 is marked by the upper dashed gray line; y = x is marked in a solid gray line. The regression formula and statistical measure appear in the text above the fit (two-tailed t-test, calculated using the lm function in R; Methods).