STOCKHOLM, April 30 (Xinhua) -- That large-scale testing can help to discover virus carriers early, especially to prevent those who are asymptomatic from spreading the virus, has become the consensus of scientists and proved by the practice of anti-pandemic in various countries.
Many European countries have recently expanded the testing scale of the novel coronavirus in an effort to further block its transmissions, and also to ensure the functions of key sectors such as medical care.
The small town of Vo Euganeo in northern Italy attracted the world's attention due to its success in controlling the spread of the coronavirus earlier.
At the beginning of the outbreak in Vo Euganeo, Andrea Crisanti, director of the Molecular-Microbiology Department of the Padua University Hospital and a leading scientific consultant on the coronavirus in Italy's Veneto region immediately proposed to the Veneto region to conduct testing on all the town's population. Such a method greatly reduced the pandemic in the Veneto region and saved Vo Euganeo. The town controlled the pandemic in less than a month, setting a model not only for Italy but also for Europe.
Many experts believe that for Italy and many other European countries, large-scale testing, contact tracing and isolation of the infected are necessary to lift the restrictions.
Crisanti believed that due to the limitations of resources and labor costs, the Vo Euganeo model is unlikely to be extended to all regions of Italy, but it can detect and reduce "high-risk groups" such as medical staff, supermarket employees, and public service personnel, and reduce the speed of the virus.
He also said that the most important thing is to find asymptomatic carriers, who are not ill but can nonetheless spread the virus. In Vo Euganeo, through large-scale testing, many asymptomatic were found.
The rapid creation of three new Lighthouse Labs in Milton Keynes, Glasgow and Alderley Park in Cheshire is increasing the UK's capacity to test for coronavirus, with each site scaling up to test tens of thousands of patient samples each day, according to the UK's Department of Health and Social Care on Wednesday.
British National Testing Coordinator, Professor John Newton said: "Every day across the country we are increasing our coronavirus testing capacity. Just a few weeks ago we launched the first Lighthouse Lab in Milton Keynes, and now it is part of the biggest network of diagnostic labs in British history."
According to British Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock, the UK plans to significantly increase the nation's virus testing capacity to 100,000 times a day by the end of April.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, in presenting the government's plan on Tuesday, emphasized that after May 11, protecting, testing and isolation measures were more critical, and maintaining social distancing would become more important.
France will step up virus testing and conduct at least 700,000 tests every week. People with symptoms will also be tested on a large scale and their contacts will be tracked. Philippe said that once tested positive, all its contacts would be tested and asked to be quarantined. The purpose was to isolate the carrier as soon as possible and block the virus transmission chain. France would set up a "virus tracking" department to trace the patient's activity route and contacts.
Sweden, which has "taken its own path" combating the pandemic, has received the world's attention when it previously announced that it would no longer test mild-symptomatic and suspected personnel. Although it insisted on implementing a "loose and voluntary" anti-pandemic strategy, it has recently undergone a radical change in its strategies towards large scale testing.
Sweden has a test capacity of about 15,000-20,000 tests per week, according to previous data from the Public Health Agency, and Sweden will further expand its testing, using testing materials purchased from China and the United States, to increase testing capacity to 35,000 tests per week.
The Swedish Public Health Agency also regards the expansion of testing capabilities as a national strategy to prevent employees working in important fields such as health care from staying at home for too long, and urges those deemed able to work to return to work as soon as possible, to ensure normal functioning of medical institutions and other key sectors.
Sweden plans significantly to scale up testing for the coronavirus and will carry out, with the introduction of drive-in test stations and home-testing kits, 100,000 tests per week by mid-May, Lena Hallengren, minister of health and social affairs said at a press conference on Thursday.
"The fact that we are now investing significantly in testing is also a result of us drawing the conclusion that this is not over. We are potentially seeing the beginning of the end. We have a long way to go still when it comes to COVID-19," said Johan Carlson, director-general of the Swedish Public Health Agency, on Thursday. Enditem
