Test the whole population now! It can be done. Andrea Crisanti, professor of microbiology at Imperial College,London was on a sabbatical in Padua when the epidemic of COVID-19 broke. What he did with a group of dedicated medics was to test a small town of 3,500 inhabitants: from a new born baby to six centenarians.
They found 89 people who were carrying the virus and 75 percent of those infected were asymptomatic. The test was not bought from a company or third party but was developed in-house and cost €30 each. After 9 days they tested again and found eight completely asymptomatic. One can listen to the podcast on Science In Action on BBC World Service.
We can afford to do this as a country. Imagine half a million people at 30 euro each means a mere €15 million when compared to the millions set out by the government to combat the fallout from the epidemic. I think we can ask these people to help us. Or we already have the expertise here in Malta to develop this test. The test looks for COVID-19 antibodies. That is what they did in South Korea.
We should do it now. Andrea Crisanti said that the health care in Milan is extraordinary and the health system in Lombardy is the pearl of Italy but the epidemic put it on its knees. We are not any better.
Complacency is deathly. Are you carrying the virus?
Joe Portelli
Nadur