Fast, portable tests come online to curb coronavirus pandemic
Testing kits delivered by courier and digital tools combine to battle the COVID-19 outbreak.
The extraordinary success of Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong in limiting the impact of the sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) demonstrates that it is possible to mount an effective response to an outbreak by major investment in pandemic preparedness. Despite their proximity to China, these three regions have managed to keep case numbers and fatalities low. By learning from previous coronavirus outbreaks where these territories bore the brunt, they were able to rapidly deploy widespread testing, combine it with digital surveillance to trace individuals’ movements, and impose strict quarantines in suspect cases, in addition to building large stockpiles of personal protective equipment.
