The best way to slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is to beef up testing of all suspected cases, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“We have a simple message to all countries: test, test, test,” he said at a press conference in Geneva, Reuters reported.
“All countries should be able to test all suspected cases, they cannot fight this pandemic blindfolded,” he added.
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He said that if people are tested, cases can be isolated and the chain of infection will be broken. Tediros expressed his concern for the effects of the pandemic on low-income countries where people face problems on malnutrition and health issues.
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There are countries that have limited testing for the vulnerable or high risk sector, the old or with pre-existing conditions.
In some areas, they do not have the resources to carry out more tests.
Tedros underscored that the strategy of testing more individuals turn out to be an effective to curb the spread of the disease citing the lower number of cases in China, South Korea and Singapore.
On the other hand, Tedros praised the efforts done globally to contain the disease.
“It’s not just the funding, it is human spirit which we see, that is fighting this virus, that is coming more strongly,” he said.
“I am really encouraged in the last week or so with the solid level of solidarity I see.”
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