Covid-19: Testing testing

ABSTRACT

On its own it can't eliminate covid-19, but it buys a country time to prepare its health systems and to mount a public health response. The resulting loss to health and life will become clear, as will the impact on staff who have shouldered the covid burden. Failure to test patients transferred into the community fuelled the devastating outbreaks in care homes, and inability to test patients being admitted to hospital now makes it almost impossible to prevent hospital infection.