Abstract
Appropriate diagnostic testing to identify persons infected with SARS-COV-2 is a vital part of a health system's ability to control the global pandemic of COVID-19 disease. The primary purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the mass testing strategy implemented throughout the UAE and the overall impact it has made on containing and controlling the spread of the disease. This study describes the mass testing strategy and capacity of the UAE during the pandemic of the new coronavirus SARS-COV-2. The UAE has conducted 15 million polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to SARS-COV-2, as of 15 November 2020. The number of tests per day varied from 10,000 by the end of March to 120,000 tests per day in November 2020. The mass testing initiative across the entire UAE forms an integral part of a bigger strategy focusing on testing, tracing contacts and isolating positive cases.
Highlights
Since the first identification of a cluster of respiratory illnesses caused by a new coronavirus in late 2019, the highly contagious disease, COVID-19, has rapidly spread across the globe
In terms of medical treatment of COVID-19 positive cases, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government invested in private and public initiatives to increase the number of beds
This study shows additional evidence to support the ongoing health system reforms as it relates to the mass testing program in the UAE
Summary
Since the first identification of a cluster of respiratory illnesses caused by a new coronavirus in late 2019, the highly contagious disease, COVID-19, has rapidly spread across the globe. The first case of the new coronavirus SARS-COV-2 disease was detected in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 29 January 2020 [1]. Since the first reported case of COVID-19, the UAE government has implemented a strategy to contain the disease, prevent its spread and treat infected patients requiring medical care [2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020 [3]. Appropriate diagnostic testing to identify persons infected with SARS-COV-2 is a vital part of a health system’s ability to control the global pandemic of COVID-19 disease. The UAE’s strategy includes a range of public health interventions, including mobile drive-through and travel restrictions [4]. Other interventions included the closure of schools, public amenities, and curfews during March and April 2020 [4]
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