Regular virus tests can curb infection rates Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research Dübendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 07.05.2021 - Since February 2021, the canton of Grisons is using saliva-based PCR mass testing within its mobile workforce as a potential means to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce infection rates. Empa researchers are now leading the analysis of data from the first eight weeks of the testing regime. They observed a reduction in the incidence rate between 20 and 50%, depending on the business sector, and a noticeable reduction in the test positivity rate among those who were regularly tested. This suggests that viral propagation can indeed be contained through regular mass testing.