Dear Editor,

The lockdown of the entire society with restricted movement only slows down the spread, but it cannot stop SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Testing will be a more effective and data-driven way to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Countries such as Israel and South Africa still have the spreading of COVID-19 and deaths, even though they have strict laws that quarantine their populations.

It will be expensive to test many people from each area then zoom in on a particular area once the virus is detected, but it will pay for itself with the saving of lives and the resumption of economic activities.

There is a company, Biosensors, in South Korea that produces 350,000 testing kits a day. Testing the blood for an increase in the white blood cell count would be a preliminary test to help identify people who need confirmatory testing.

It is impossible to fight an enemy you cannot see. Testing locates the COVID-19 and can help us focus resources where they are needed. If we do not strategically test aggressively, our health system will eventually become overwhelmed by the COVID-19 health crisis.

I used to teach graphing of the spread of viruses, which spread exponentially; containment is difficult. Testing is our best tool to fight this pandemic. Curfew and social distancing (impossible if I live with several people) and a state of emergency only slow down the spread; elimination should be the goal.

Yours truly,
Brian Ellis Plummer