Why not batch test

[nearlyoldenough]

If the case is , as has been said, that the pinch point of the testing debacle is the test laboratories exceeding capacity, why are we not batch testing ?
It seems to be a widely accepted technique . In cases of low positive results , just batch ten or twenty samples and test as one . If negative great , if positive you go back and test each individual sample .
Makes perfect sense
You could even have two streams " do you think you have symptoms and have the virus " and " don't think I have virus but need a test because .." to really amplify chances of all samples being negative

www.scientificamerican.com/article/coronavirus-test-shortages-trigger-a-new-strategy-group-screening2/

Group testing or pooled testing , as it is sometimes called in academia, would make perfect sense. It has been proposed since March!

Daft idea. It doesn't help a sick individual and is purely an economic solution.

Onlinelinda what do you mean?

If you get a positive in the batch, you retest each one individually to see who was positive .There’s no downside to the individual.
It’s not so much an economic solution, more a time and resource saving one as that’s what’s lacking.
Point is with low positive results, most batches of 20 tests will all be negative and hence you are saving loads of tests .

if ou get a positive in the batch, you retest each one individually to see who was positive

It's actually cleverer than that. But the overall effect is to hugely reduce the number of tests needed.

Sounds far too sensible.

Not sure why we aren't doing it, the scientist working at the testing lab tested the process in April

Why on earth aren't we doing this?!

Makes a lot of sense and don't know why this hasn't started.