Since first recommended by WHO, testing for SARS-CoV-19 has been the main strategy to diagnose, isolate, trace, and quarantine the people exposed to COVID-19. With social distancing measures, lockdowns, and hand hygiene, countries that acted early had less cases and reduced mortality.
Now that COVIS-19 pandemic is entering the 6 month, what do you think has been the best strategy, selective, smart or mass testing? What testing strategy was used in your state, country or area of the world and what has been the result?
The best was mass COVID-19 testing. This made it possible to quickly isolate patients from patients. In this case, a greater number of beds in the hospitals for patients is displayed. Such a measure is effective if the country has a reserve of beds. Otherwise, mortality will increase not only from COVID-19 patients. But also at the expense of patients from other serious diseases who will not receive timely assistance. Regards, Sergey Viktorovich Pushkin
South Korea and Singapore adopted smart testing with very good results and are having businesses open.
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/05/bf158de5d991-singapore-to-ease-lockdown-let-businesses-reopen-from-may-12.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-south-korea-tech-contact-tracing-testing-fight-covid-19-2020-5
Which of the counties responded the best way in their testing strategy and implementing the preventive measures for COVID-19?
Brazil adopted a policy of doing testing only on suspected COVID-19 patients.
Even as of now on 5 June 2019, statistics show (Woldometer):
Total tests 986,365, confirmed cases 630,708 (i.e. less than 3 tests to diagnose 2 cases)
The result is 34625 deaths, 3rd highest after USA and UK.
In Jordan, they follow any suspicion one who could be infected, besides thousand of random screening.
Yes, most of the third world countries even some developed countries also tested only suspected cases. It's a huge burden to prepare for mass testing and the gold standard RT PCR also needs money as well as trained manpower. Gap in idea and reality too.
Most of the South American countries applied selective SARS-COV-2 testing in the beginning, the results we are seeing are well reflected by Brazil
People may not be undergoing SARS-CoV-2 testing when they are paying out of their pocket.
In Iraq, daily the MOH test about 15000 subjects with real time PCR rest, those are suspected cases with any clinical sign of the disease, the test is charge free
Please read the following article for clarification
Targeted Population, Strategy, Issues and Progress to Combat COVID‐19
September 2020
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202009.0002.v1