Coronavirus: mass tests are unnecessary, says China’s chief epidemiologist
- A number of Chinese cities have carried out mass tests, but Wu Zunyou from the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says localised tests are enough
- Testing millions has a high social cost and is not supported by science, expert says
China’s chief epidemiologist has said citywide Covid-19 tests are unnecessary because more limited testing should be enough to stop the disease spreading.
Earlier this month, the eastern city of Qingdao carried out 11 million coronavirus tests in just five days after 12 new cases were linked to a local hospital. The tests did not find any new cases.
“Qingdao has the determination to do that, but it’s overkill,” Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, told China Newsweek on Saturday. He said transmission would be confined to the vicinity of the hospital and argued the tests had been carried out for non-scientific reasons.
Other citywide tests have been carried out in Beijing, Jilin, Dalian and Urumqi after local clusters emerged, but Wu said it would be enough to carry out tests in areas where new cases emerged.
Beijing, which saw a local outbreak linked to a wholesale food market in June decided to test 20 million people despite opposition from experts, he said.
Wu said citywide tests may help to reassure residents and officials, but “when tests expanded and no cases were found … the social cost was too big and unnecessary”.