By Strive Masiyiwa
#Why we need Testing, Tracing, and Isolation:
The leader of a small country in the Caribbean with about 100,000 people, wanted to make sure that his country did not get -19.
Here is what he did: He closed the borders temporarily. Then he #tested every single citizen on the Island to find those who carried the virus [some people carry it without even knowing they have it]. After finding those who had it, he #Isolated them for 3 weeks until they #Tested negative again.
He asked each person to list people they had been in contact with, and also #Tested them. This process of #Testing, #Tracing, and #Isolating completely eliminated the disease after one month. Now they have opened their borders, and they #Test everyone who arrives, and they keep them #Isolated for 14 days before they can mingle.
What about the big country?
The principles still apply. Scientific techniques show us that the more #Testing, #Tracing, and #Isolating – a country can do, the slower the infection rate within a country!
This is logical thinking!#Testing must be done in order to find those who have the virus. And how can we find them if we are not #Testing as many people as possible?
So, we must #Test, #Trace, #Isolate constantly.
I have argued to many people this logic:
“Lockdowns, and Testing are two sides of the same coin. If you want to stop lockdowns, then step up Testing. It is cheaper to Test millions of people than to lock down your economy. Africa is losing $70bn per month through lockdowns, and it will bankrupt us completely. The answer is simple: Mass Testing must replace blanket lockdowns. This is maths not politics.”
