MALAYSIA is not equipped to conduct mass testing as carried out by scientists in a small town in northen Italy, said virologists. 

They said it is logistically difficult for the government to mass test, and that it is hard to procure that many test kits.

The rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent days has also put more strain on the country’s laboratories and their staff.

Dr Christopher Lee from Sg Buloh Hospital’s infectious diseases unit agreed that mass testing can reduce virus transmission, but added that Malaysia is employing a similar procedure with contact tracing and isolation of people who were in contact with coronavirus patients.

“Mass testing was actually a public health study to see whether identifying cases early (including asymptomatic cases) and isolating early would decrease transmission. Of course it would.

“That’s the basis of our contact-tracing intervention –  to pick up early cases among those who have been exposed, and isolate them. Mass testing would require a lot of tests, plus it would require tests that can be done rapidly.

“At this point, Malaysia has not got that capacity. As we see more community spread, we really need to ramp up our testing capacity,” said Dr Lee, who is also national adviser for infectious diseases at the Health Ministry.

According to UK newspaper The Guardian, the Italian town of Vo Euganeo has become a case study that demonstrates how mass testing can curb the spread of Covid-19.

When the study began on March 6, there were at least 90 infected persons in Vo Euganeo. For days now, there have been no new cases.

“We were able to contain the outbreak here, because we identified and eliminated the ‘submerged’ infections and isolated them,” Andrea Crisanti, an infections expert at Imperial College London who took part in the Vo Euganeo project, was quoted as saying.

‘Excessive and not necessary’

Virologist Professor Dr Lam Sai Kit said it is impossible to perform mass testing in Malaysia. 

“Certainly there is nothing wrong in doing population testing, but it is logistically difficult and impossible for Malaysia, or any country, to do.

“This study in Vo Euganeo cannot be repeated even in Italy with a population of 60.48 million, as there is absolutely no way that they have sufficient diagnostic test kits.

“Even the US is very short of test kits, and has to restrict testing to those who are symptomatic and those in close contact with sick patients,” said the 82-year-old specialist.

He said testing should be confined to those suspected of having Covid-19, their contacts, and patients with influenza-like illness and selected respiratory illnesses.

With the surge in coronavirus cases, he is not sure if the country’s labs and their staff are up to mass testing.

“We are already reaching our limit and we do not have the surge capacity to cater for such general testing. I think we should only confine testing to those suspected of having Covid-19 and their contacts, patients who have influenza-like illness, and if we can, selected respiratory illnesses.

“This is more manageable, and it is what Malaysia has been doing. With the surge due to the Sri Petaling Mosque incident, I am not sure we have the laboratory staff and machines to do the tests with a short turnaround time.”

There is also the question of how many times and at what intervals the tests should be conducted as a person could test negative today, but positive a few days later, he said.

“So, my answer is no, we cannot do what Vo Euganeo is doing, and I personally think it is excessive and not necessary to test the general population.”

Putrajaya on Wednesday imposed a two-week movement-restriction order. People are advised to stay home and practise social distancing if they need to go out for essential goods and services.

Malaysia has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases in the past week, with a total of 900 infections with two deaths as of yesterday. They largely stem from a  cluster of 14,500 locals who attended a four-day tabligh programme at Sri Petaling Mosque late last month.

So far, about 10,500 of the 14,500 participants have been tested. – March 20, 2020.