COVID-19: targetted vs. mass testing

The number of positive COVID19 cases have seen a decline over the last couple of weeks in Malaysia. In the latest movement control order (MCO), the government has relaxed some restriction on public movement and some companies have been allowed to start or expand their operation to full capacity. The Social Security Organisation with advice from the Ministry of Health has outline two phases of testing of workers for the SARS CoV2. In Phase I, foreign workers in the Red and Yellow Zone will need to undergo the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing and in Phase II, all other workers not included in the Phase I will have to have an antibody testing on day-1 and day-7 before the results are released. This is a form of mass testing of workers, in an interview with Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan on Astro Awani: Consider This programme, Assoc Prof Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy share her view on targetted vs. mass testing.