Assessing the impact of COVID-19 mass testing in South Tyrol using a semi-parametric growth model

Mass antigen testing has been proposed as a possible cost-effective tool to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. We test the impact of a voluntary mass testing campaign implemented in the Italian region of South Tyrol on the spread of the virus in the following months. We do so by using an innovative empi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2022-10, Vol.12 (1), p.17952-17952, Article 17952
Main Authors: Ferrari, Davide, Stillman, Steven, Tonin, Mirco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Antigens
Asymptomatic
Biological Phenomena
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 Testing
Disease transmission
Epidemics
Growth models
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Intervention
multidisciplinary
Pandemics
Pandemics - prevention & control
Population
Quarantine
SARS-CoV-2
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Mass antigen testing has been proposed as a possible cost-effective tool to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. We test the impact of a voluntary mass testing campaign implemented in the Italian region of South Tyrol on the spread of the virus in the following months. We do so by using an innovative empirical approach which embeds a semi-parametric growth model—where COVID-19 transmission dynamics are allowed to vary across regions and to be impacted by the implementation of the mass testing campaign—into a synthetic control framework which creates an appropriate control group of other Italian regions. Our results suggest that mass testing campaigns are useful instruments for mitigating the pandemic.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-21292-3