Autoren:	Diederichs, Marc Glawion, René Kremsner, Peter G. Mitze, Timo Müller, Gernot J. Papies, Dominik Schulz, Felix Wälde, Klaus
Titel:	Is large-scale rapid CoV-2 testing a substitute for lockdowns?
Online-Publikationsdatum:	7-Nov-2022
Erscheinungsdatum:	2022
Sprache des Dokuments:	Englisch
Zusammenfassung/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-Sachgruppe:	320 Politik 320 Political science 330 Wirtschaft 330 Economics 610 Medizin 610 Medical sciences
Veröffentlichende Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Organisationseinheit:	FB 03 Rechts- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Veröffentlichungsort:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-8227
Version:	Published version
Publikationstyp:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Weitere Angaben zur Dokumentart:	Scientific article
Nutzungsrechte:	CC BY
Informationen zu den Nutzungsrechten:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Zeitschrift:	PLOS ONE 17 3
Seitenzahl oder Artikelnummer:	e0265207
Verlag:	PLOS
Verlagsort:	San Francisco, California, US
Erscheinungsdatum:	2022
ISSN:	1932-6203
DOI der Originalveröffentlichung:	10.1371/journal.pone.0265207
Enthalten in den Sammlungen:	DFG-491381577-G