The mathematical strategy that could transform coronavirus testing

The mathematical strategy that could transform coronavirus testing



To save time and money, some countries are combining samples from several people in one test. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty)

The strategy that could transform testing

Health officials have started using a strategy that was first proposed in the Second World War: group testing. China, India, Germany and the United States are already using the approach. Four charts show how pooling samples from many people can hunt down individual cases using less time, chemical reagents and money.

Nature | 6 min read