A Citywide ‘Virus Testing': Chinese Government's Response to Preventing and Controlling the Second Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is a daunting challenge globally. China, as well as a handful of other countries, has, for the most part, contained it by implementing strict policies. Wuhan's citywide virus-testing program presents a way forward in preventing and controlling the uncertainty, anxiety, instability and complexity it faces over the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. Inarguably, the health crisis requires time-tested strategies and tactics for coordinating governments' and social entities' response to the health crisis, with a goal toward having and ensuring sustained effectiveness. Because of a possible recurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, the Prevention and Control Headquarters of Wuhan on COVID-19 launched a massive virus testing of Wuhan's 11 million residents; it was completed within 10 days. In light of this unprecedented mass testing, this study applies the situational crisis communication theory to analyze this massive virus-testing process and the mechanisms involved to contain SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan. While many countries still have partial lockdowns, the second outbreak in Wuhan was an indication of what awaited all SARS-CoV-2-stricken countries post-lockdowns and after community restrictions had been lifted. Therefore, the recently implemented Wuhan control mechanism (in cities, districts and townships) may become a hortatory guide to other world regions as they contend with and consider appropriate measures to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and to ensure public safety.

Epidemiological evaluation of mass testing in a small municipality in the Netherlands during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic

“…It is hypothesised that MT offers a major contribution to both surveillance and TTI and could thereby have a great impact on the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Experimental evidence is, however, limited to a setting with low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 [ 17 ]. An MT campaign in Slovakia showed a decrease in infection incidence, but their modelling suggested that the decrease did not exclusively result from MT and also required the impact of isolation and quarantine measures [ 18 ].…”