Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-8227
Authors: Diederichs, Marc
Glawion, René
Kremsner, Peter G.
Mitze, Timo
Müller, Gernot J.
Papies, Dominik
Schulz, Felix
Wälde, Klaus
Title: Is large-scale rapid CoV-2 testing a substitute for lockdowns?
Online publication date: 7-Nov-2022
Year of first publication: 2022
Language: english
Abstract: Background Various forms of contact restrictions have been adopted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Around February 2021, rapid testing appeared as a new policy instrument. Some claim it may serve as a substitute for contact restrictions. We study the strength of this argument by evaluating the effects of a unique policy experiment: In March and April 2021, the city of Tübingen set up a testing scheme while relaxing contact restrictions. Methods We compare case rates in Tübingen county to an appropriately identified control unit. We employ the synthetic control method. We base interpretations of our findings on an extended SEIR model. Findings The experiment led to an increase in the reported case rate. This increase is robust across alternative statistical specifications. This is also due to more testing leading initially to more reported cases. An epidemiological model that corrects for ‘more cases due to more testing’ and ‘reduced testing and reporting during the Easter holiday’ confirms that the overall effect of the experiment led to more infections. Interpretation The number of rapid tests were not sufficiently high in this experiment to compensate for more contacts and thereby infections caused by relaxing contact restrictions.
DDC: 320 Politik
320 Political science
330 Wirtschaft
330 Economics
610 Medizin
610 Medical sciences
Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department: FB 03 Rechts- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Place: Mainz
ROR: https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-8227
Version: Published version
Publication type: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Document type specification: Scientific article
License: CC BY
Information on rights of use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal: PLOS ONE
17
3
Pages or article number: e0265207
Publisher: PLOS
Publisher place: San Francisco, California, US
Issue date: 2022
ISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265207
Appears in collections:DFG-491381577-G

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