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Pooled testing efficiency increases with test frequency

Author

Listed:
  • Ned Augenblick

    ( a Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;)

  • Jonathan Kolstad

    ( a Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;; b Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;)

  • Ziad Obermeyer

    ( c School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94704)

  • Ao Wang

    ( b Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;)

Abstract

Frequent mass testing can slow a rapidly spreading infectious disease by quickly identifying and isolating infected individuals from the population. One proposed method to reduce the extremely high costs of this testing strategy is to employ pooled testing, in which samples are combined and tested together using one test, and the entire pool is cleared given a negative test result. This paper demonstrates that frequent pooled testing of individuals with correlated risk—even given large uncertainty about infection rates—is particularly efficient. We conclude that frequent pooled testing using natural groupings is a cost-effective way to suppress infection risk in a pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Ned Augenblick & Jonathan Kolstad & Ziad Obermeyer & Ao Wang, 2022. "Pooled testing efficiency increases with test frequency," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(2), pages 2105180119-, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:119:y:2022:p:e2105180119
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