The Problem
Almost 1 million people have died as a result of contracting COVID-19, while over 30 million have contracted the disease. The solution, as suggested by healthcare experts around the world, is to expand testing so those who catch the infection can be isolated and treated effectively. But ramping up testing comes with costs. Many parts of the world lack adequate supplies. It is an expensive undertaking that requires additional infrastructure and trained medical professionals, both of which may not be available. To add to this, the gold standard Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test has a long lead time. This leaves the world’s population at risk, especially those with comorbidities. The effective utilisation of resources becomes critical.