Covid-19 crisis Border control using PCR testing is not useful and not necessary
I held the view, for over a year, that border control using PCR testing is not useful and not necessary.

I explain my reason.

a) A person is either infectious or he is not. Being infections, he can transmit the virus to other people that he comes into contact. 

b) A person is not infectious because he comes from another country. Being infectious is a personal and transient situation, and is not a national characteristic.

c) A practical way to detect an infectious person is temperature checking. This has to be done with a high quality equipment and not a $10 hand held detector.

d) I am aware that many people are infected, but they remain asymptomatic and can spread the virus. 

e) My common sense tells me that the risk of spread of the virus by asymptomatic people is low. Even if it spreads, the risk is likely to remain low with the next infected person that has a certain level of immunity.

f) My focus is to detect people who are symptomatic and infectious. Most of them are likely to have a high temperature or other symptoms. I accept that this approach will not detect all possible cases, but I am prepared to take the risk. 

g) There is a chance that the spread may get out of control using my approach. If the hospitalized cases increases significantly, I will react with more stringent actions. However, I do not panic in advance.

I come back to the question of border control. 

If a person can move freely within his own country, there is no reason to think that he will become more infectious when he travels to another country.

I consider that temperature scanning will be adequate to detect the infectious cases. I am not able to stop all infections, but this is a risk with the local population anyway.

I support the following safe distancing measures:

a) Wear a mask when you are near other people, e.g. in public transport or other crowded places
b) Keep a safe distance from other people.
c) Wash your hands often.

You should practice the above habits within your country or when you travel to another country.

Tan Kin Lian
 

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