MASS TESTING NOT A FINAL SOLUTION BUT A MUST

IAM not a medical doctor or an expert epidemiologist. And I am not even a genius. However, ordinary citizens and non-experts like me can access common sense, simply because it doesn’t require an academic degree, and it is free for use and will not cost anyone.

Armed with our common sense, many of us push for the conduct of mass testing for the coronavirus. Ideally, it should even be done to everyone. But we can concede that it can start with those who are vulnerable like the elderly and those with medical conditions, as well as those with a history of possible exposure such as travel to highly infected areas or having close proximity to known positive cases.

There is actually no reason why a more widespread and aggressive testing cannot be done. The problem regarding the supply of available testing kits is now being addressed with the inflow of donations from several countries and private foundations. One cannot use as an excuse the tedious and long process of testing since it amounts to a defeatist, even indolent, attitude that doesn’t have a place in the face of a global pandemic.

Some people have raised the issue of the lack of testing centers and the dearth of expertise. These reasons do not convince. Congress has enacted a law granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers. Malacañang has already issued guidelines directing government agencies to redirect vast government resources to address the threat of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS- CoV- 2 that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). There is no reason why testing kits could not be produced or purchased, testing centers established and people trained to quickly acquire the skills required. We are a country that takes pride in our scientific capabilities. There is no shortage of scientists based in academe and research centers — and even graduate students — in relevant disciplines who can undergo a crash course in conducting the tests or, if not, at least in assisting the experts. This is no longer the time for the so-called “real” experts to be protective of their turfs. This is like a war where we are battling a deadly virus, where not only reserve officers could be called to fight but even scientists.

Yet, there is another line of argument raised by some that deserves to be vigorously taken down for its sheer defeatist logic. Some people argue that the country cannot afford to have mass testing simply because it could have serious consequences. It is alleged by these people that mass testing could lead to more people coming out positive. The symptomatic positives would definitely require confinement in health care facilities. But what is more worrisome would be the avalanche of asymptomatic positives who will rush into the medical system to demand attention. Those who oppose mass testing worry that the country’s health care system will break at the seams and may collapse due to the sheer number of cases. They argue that this would then propel us into the dangerous stage where the curve will breach our health system’s capacity before we flatten it, something that we are avoiding by simply imposing enhanced quarantine and physical distancing.

This argument deserves to be locked down where it came from.

It rests on the assumption that the disease is just a state of mind, where asymptomatic carriers are not threats simply because they are not aware that they are Covid-19-positive. These people who subscribe to this argument should be reminded that in spite of the lockdown, thousands of asymptomatic positives who are exempted from the quarantine as a matter of work or necessity still move around. Many of the over a thousand active cases do not have records of travel to infected areas, or exposure to infected persons. It is very likely they got infected by asymptomatic positives roaming around because they were not conscious that they were carriers.

Not doing mass testing for fear that people becoming aware that they are positive with Covid-19 will overwhelm the system and force us to take comfort in an illusion of safety, a lie. The virus will not retreat simply because we are not aware that we have it.

Knowing the asymptomatic carriers can help us draft a more focused quarantine strategy that would avoid this hit- and- miss tactic that unnecessarily suspends economic activity for everyone. It will prevent us from playing something like Russian roulette of not knowing who the carriers are and their location.

Mass testing can give us a robust database of information not only about the intensity, but also about the location of the infection or what is referred to as clusters. Using technologies such as data science and geographic information systems, we can accurately map these clusters. We can use this map as basis to declare differentiated quarantine levels in the country instead of one that is based on the assumption that everyone is a carrier. This way, we can focus on confining and treating the symptomatic positives in hospitals and medical facilities. Those asymptomatic carriers can then either be confined to their own homes, if possible, or otherwise can be housed in buildings converted into mass quarantine facilities, like hotels and sports arenas.

In short, mass testing will allow us to visibly map an invisible enemy.

In this manner, we can now allow those who are not infected to resume their normal routines either partially or fully, subject to stringent precautionary measures. This will restart the economy, restore a lot of livelihoods and help prevent an economic collapse from happening.

These people who are skeptical of mass testing are usually praising the President as an almost omniscient and omnipotent demi-god. And yet they are now saying his government cannot possibly handle this. This is now the time for them to unite with us and trust the President. After all, we just gave him emergency powers.