How can we all get back to work safely in the face of a lingering pandemic? To answer this question we need hard science about the virus and its transmission. But we also need people who can solve tricky organisational problems, logically think through possible scenarios, and keep track of the limitations of proposed solutions. In other words, we need mathematicians.

"Supporting the fight against COVID-19 is extremely important. We feel that if we have a certain expertise to contribute, then the work we normally do should take a backseat and we should try to do whatever we can."

To control the COVID-19 pandemic, and keep the death toll as low as possible, it's essential to quickly diagnose people who have the disease. This is done using lab tests, but no test is 100% accurate. The COVID-19 test has a relatively high rate of false negatives (30%), which indicate a patient is clear when in reality they have the disease, and lead to late diagnosis and treatment. This doesn't only produce worse outcomes for patients, but also means they can spread the disease further when they are released from hospital.

By now we all know what a distance of 2 metres looks like. It's been painted on pavements across the country and illustrated using broom sticks and very tall people. But are 2 metres really enough to keep you safe from catching the infection from someone else? What if you can't stay that far away from others because you are on a train or in a shop? And what if you're in an air conditioned room where the air you breathe is continually moving around?