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Covid

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Original poster

How can China test 9 million people in 5 days?

27 replies

notevenat20 · 12/10/2020 07:56

And why can’t we?

From the BBC today:

The Chinese city of Qingdao is testing its entire population of nine million people for Covid-19 over a period of five days.

OP posts:

cabotstove · 12/10/2020 08:12

Umm, because we are nothing like China

Original poster

notevenat20 · 12/10/2020 08:15

Umm, because we are nothing like China

Whatever test they are using should be available to us. So what is the difference in detail that means we can’t do it?

OP posts:

LearnedResponse · 12/10/2020 08:15

We’re doing over a million people every five days according to the stats. China is twenty times bigger than us so....

Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone · 12/10/2020 08:18

They can order you to turn up any time between 6 am and midnight to a testing station and the people just do it. Some Mumsneters cannot even wear a mask or obey our light restrictions. As I've said before China in my opinion has many faults but they will beat covid19 quicker than us because their people are so compliant with the government.

iVampire · 12/10/2020 08:18

They have no shortage of people to administer and process the tests

Plus they are prepared to use draconian measures to ensure isolation (forced removal from homes)

Original poster

notevenat20 · 12/10/2020 08:19

We’re doing over a million people every five days according to the stats. China is twenty times bigger than us so....

I don’t think that’s right is it? We do over 200,00 tests a day but they count two swabs from one person as two tests I thought.

Also, how does having a really large country help unless they are bringing in testers from thousands of miles away to do the testing?

OP posts:

Original poster

notevenat20 · 12/10/2020 08:20

I've said before China in my opinion has many faults but they will beat covid19 quicker than us because their people are so compliant with the government.

I think they already have.

OP posts:

Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone · 12/10/2020 08:20

We are actually doing an awful lot of testing. The highest in Europe by capita. For all its faults the number of tests undertaken by test and trace isn't the issue.

WilsonMilson · 12/10/2020 08:26

China is an entirely different economy. The set up of their society (which is unenviable by anyone who values personal freedom) makes them better quipped in lots of ways to deal with a crisis like this. Basically they have the resources and the population are compliant.

Original poster

notevenat20 · 12/10/2020 08:30

Basically they have the resources and the population are compliant.

We are still much richer per capita.

OP posts:

BiBabbles · 12/10/2020 08:41

We are still much richer per capita.

That doesn't mean the UK's resources are being used in that way.

China has made different choices in resource allocation and enforcement, before considering differences in amount of labs, how well they're equipped, amount of professionals or tech to do the job, and so on.

PicsInRed · 12/10/2020 08:44

Assuming their claim is correct, per capita that is many less tests than we're doing. Assuming their claim is correct.

Porcupineinwaiting · 12/10/2020 08:46

I think it's because, although of course the British are superior in every way, and couldn't possibly learn anything worth knowing from foreigners, we couldn't actually organize a shitshow in a unit for intensively reared pigs.

cathyandclare · 12/10/2020 08:51

@notevenat20

We’re doing over a million people every five days according to the stats. China is twenty times bigger than us so....

I don’t think that’s right is it? We do over 200,00 tests a day but they count two swabs from one person as two tests I thought.

Also, how does having a really large country help unless they are bringing in testers from thousands of miles away to do the testing?

We do not count two swabs as one test. At the beginning of someone had one saliva and one nose/throat swab that was counted as two- but it is two separate tests administered.

We are now testing well over 250k a day, 285k on the last day for which we have data.

cabotstove · 12/10/2020 09:34

@notevenat20 the differences I was referring to are nothing to do with the actual test.

Redolent · 12/10/2020 09:48

@cathyandclare

Testing over 250k what? People? No, we don’t count people tested, we count tests processed.

Our testing is very much a case of quantity over quality. Huge reliance on self swabbing rather than the test taken by a healthcare professional. This leads to lots of inconclusive and therefore wasted tests..

LeaveMyDamnJam · 12/10/2020 09:51

You are comparing two very different things OP.

China is so different to here. It is a totalitarian/authoritarian state with no individual autonomy beyond the very basic. They also fudge the truth.

cathyandclare · 12/10/2020 09:52

If someone has a test weekly for their job, that's 52 tests and should be counted as such.

It would be good to have clear numbers of people tested, from a % positive point of view, but that's a different argument.

toffeekiwi · 12/10/2020 09:55

Because the Chinese people will go along with it and people in most other countries won't.

covidstuff · 12/10/2020 09:58

Technical answer: surely, pooled tests. This is sensible when you want to test a large number of people who are almost certain to be negative. Pool all their samples, test once, negative means they're all negative, and you only have to follow up if the pooled sample is positive.

loobyloo1234 · 12/10/2020 10:14

They also fudge the truth

What do you think think they are fudging?

I have been to China many times. Their people are compliant. They locked down very hard to start with, which meant managing track and trace from the off. Their Government say jump, they say how high. Of course they have better control over it than we do. That's really not that difficult

Porcupineinwaiting · 12/10/2020 10:16

They also fudge the truth

Hilarious. Thank God we've got democracy which stops our politicians doing this.

Original poster

notevenat20 · 12/10/2020 19:18

I think the answer is that they are going to do pooled testing. I can't see another way. As in this www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3789

OP posts:

Scaraffito · 12/10/2020 19:20

I've said before China in my opinion has many faults but they will beat covid19 quicker than us because their people are so compliant with the government.

Their people aren't compliant purely out of choice, do you think that would be good here?

NRatched · 12/10/2020 19:45

Not sure if there is any truth in what I read today Abut our tests being more accurate but take much longer, where many countries are using quicker tests that have less accuracy, then using the more accurate ones after the quick ones on some? If there is actually a test that is almost instant, as claimed, even if less accurate, would that not be better?!(sure it was about being a saliva test too, which is not invasive in any way)

Sorry, have not had time to check this at all. Seemed to be referenced, but sometimes things look like that. Wouldn't post unless sure usually but going offline in a sec so thought it might be interesting here..

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