Iceland has tested more people for coronavirus than other countries in comparison. However, India is among those countries with lowest number of tests which is more important, along with lockdowns.
Iceland has done 10,955 tests per one lakh while India has done screening of just 19.9 persons per one lakh, which is even lower than most of the countries across the world.
Iceland, which started the tests on January 31, even one month before the first case was reported, completed the screening of its 10% population, which is the highest. It has done 1,09,558 tests per one million population. The country had a second round of intensive all-out screening programme from March 13. So the testing per capita stands 10 times higher than even South Korea, which has done 10 tests per 1000 people. Iceland has however reported 506 cases per lakh, according to the data available from worldometers. (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)
Compared to Iceland, India’s screening programme is far from the desired, though the country has less number of infections and deaths. Fortunately, India has just 9 cases per one million, a death rate of 0.3 per ten lakh. But, the number of tests is just 199 per one million, which is one of the lowest in the world. Even Pakistan has done 332 tests per one million population.
Spain has the highest infection rate, with 2732 in every one million population getting down with Covid-19. But the country has done 13,918 tests per one million. Italy has still a higher rate by screening 18,481 per one million people. Germany is another country which has a higher rate of screening, by covering 20,629 per million. United States (9845 per million), Belgium (11,056), Canada (12,393), Switzerland (22,993), Russia (10,402), Portugal (20,430) and Austria (17,410) are among those in the top.
One positive impact of wider screening a phased locked down with lesser intensity in many countries. Experts have called for widespread screening as the only solution, much more than the lockdown and keeping the people inside the homes.
