Test, test, test!

Friday, 24 April 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

There is one common denominator when analysing some of the nations that are worst hit by COVID-19. Be it the US, Italy, Spain or Germany, it is the sheer number of tests conducted by each of these nations that stands out.

Yes, there are also conversations to be had about State Qversus private healthcare, and delays in lockdown measures, but by and large the first and most crucial step in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak has been successfully identifying how many cases there are in a country.

So, for all the praise the Sri Lankan Government should get for the proactive measures taken in announcing a countrywide lockdown, and strictly enforcing social distancing, the lack of testing has been a glaring error.

As it stands the Government has conducted somewhere in the region of 11,000 tests – around 8,000 of which have taken place over the last three weeks. With State hospitals enlisting the help of their private counterparts, the rate of daily testing is now set to rise from 800 to a little over 1,000 per day.

This is a measure that should rightfully be applauded, but one that, five weeks into a lockdown – especially now that curfew measures are about to be relaxed – may still not be enough.

To put things in context, the US with a population north of 300 million has so far conducted over four million tests, while Italy with just 60 million people has conducted over 1.5 million coronavirus tests. Yes, the number of cases in these two countries are some of the highest in the world, but we only know that because of the number of tests being done there.

In Sri Lanka, it’s no coincidence that since testing was ramped up to 800 a day in the last two weeks, the number of cases being detected daily has been rising. In fact, the past week has seen the highest number of diagnosed patients in the country since the outbreak began.

However, testing is still only available to those with visible symptoms. This, despite it now being widely reported that even asymptomatic – not showing symptoms – individuals can be infected with the virus, and worse still spread it to others.

The latest report of a sailor from the Sri Lankan Navy testing positive shines further light on the serious ramifications brought forth by a lack of testing. As it stands, it’s unclear where the sailor contracted the virus, as he had not been stationed at a quarantine centre. This alone puts so many of his colleagues at risk. One can only imagine the repercussions if a military personnel, many of whom are on the frontlines of battling this crisis, were to contract the virus; without the necessary testing protocols, identifying and containing the spread would be nigh on impossible.

That said, it’s understandable if getting a hold of testing kits is proving difficult for the Government, or if testing is only being done in terms of available quarantine facilities. Much of this however is speculation, and if the Government is unable to conduct the necessary testing, it is much better for it to be honest with the public with regard to the reasons why. Because the longer the true nature of the spread is left unclear, the more unsafe it is for all of us.