Robert BazellScience’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center.Michael Mina is out for blood–millions of samples, which a nascent effort dubbed the Global Immunological Observatory (GIO) would monitor for signs of pathogens spreading through the population.
Instead of a telescope, it will rely on technology that can measure hundreds of thousands of distinct antibodies in a microliter of blood.
If the GIO can overcome technical and logistical hurdles and find sustained funding, he says, it could provide a powerful tool for monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks.For now, the idea is just a pilot project to track the spread of COVID-19.