Large-scale testing can help public health officials promptly detect outbreaks and transmission chains of the virus as well as consider quarantine and blockade measures.
A testing site in Palmetto, Florida, USA on August 2.
Each country has different regulations and prices for Covid-19 testing.
Tests outside of this scope, such as individuals required by their employer to be tested before returning to work, will be charged a fee.
A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the cost of each Covid-19 test in the US ranges from 20 USD to 850 USD, depending on the test method, region, insurance provider and other factors.
According to statistics from Statista.com, the US is currently the country that conducts the most Covid-19 tests in the world, with nearly 620 million tests performed.
In Europe, most countries offer free Covid-19 testing if a person shows symptoms of the virus.
PCR testing is available free of charge in France for citizens and no booking is required.
Travelers to France pay more than $51 for each PCR test and about $30 for each antigen test.
In Hungary, Covid-19 testing at public or designated hospitals is free.
Italy offers free testing to all people with Covid-19 symptoms and people who have been in contact with infected cases, after calling the regional health care support line.
If you don’t want to waste time waiting, Italians can schedule a private test, with costs ranging from 49 USD to 109 USD depending on the region.
Like Italy, the UK also offers free testing for people with Covid-19 symptoms such as continuous cough, fever or loss of taste, through the National Health Service (NHS).
Unlike many other European countries, the UK does not set a ceiling on testing costs.
Unlike most of its European neighbors, Germany does not have large-scale testing centers.
Testing costs in Germany vary by region.
Several other European countries such as Denmark, Iceland and the Netherlands offer free testing for tourists as well.
A Covid-19 testing site in Northern Jutland, Denmark in November 2020.
In Asia, China persists with its strategy of widespread testing to suppress the epidemic.
China recently updated its large-scale testing process to better respond to the highly contagious Delta variant.
China’s National Health Security Administration (NHSA) last week asked provincial health officials to reduce testing prices.
Jiangsu province in August conducted a total of 12 rounds of widespread testing for the entire population in the province over a three-week period.
Countries are applying three main types of tests to screen for Covid-19, including molecular biology tests (PCR), rapid antigen tests and antibody tests.
PCR testing is highly sensitive, through analyzing mucus samples from the nose or throat to detect viruses, but the time to return test results is quite long, ranging from 12 to 48 hours.
Rapid antigen tests have rapid results return time of less than one hour.
The third way to screen for Covid-19 is an antibody test.