Hong Kong To Roll Out Nearly Universal COVID-19 Testing in September

Aug. 28, 2020 (EIRNS)—Hong Kong, which has seen a new wave of COVID-19 infections following the large-scale demonstrations held there, has launched a program to offer testing for everyone age six and above. The testing initiative will begin on Sept. 1, with the goal of testing all residents within 7 days, with the possibility of expanding the program to 14 days if necessary. It is hoped that by performing the testing over a short period, positive cases can be identified for isolation, along with their recent close contacts, dramatically reducing the spread of the disease.

At current U.S. rates of testing, universal testing would take over a year.

New, less expensive types of tests, less sensitive than the PCR tests that are widely used, but still capable of identifying 99% of infectious persons, can make a huge difference in getting the disease to levels where contact tracing and isolation can be quite effective.