[The pitfalls of preventive testing for SARS-CoV-2]

Abstract

The Dutch test capacity to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus has increased enormously since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a consequence of ongoing spreading of the virus, tests are also increasingly being carried out among people without COVID-19 related symptoms. Preventive testing for SARS-CoV-2 is especially performed in sectors in which early detection of the virus is essential, for instance in the professional sports sector. The guideline of the RIVM states that people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 but without COVID-19 related symptoms are advised to stay in isolation for five days from time of the test. However, this guideline is not suitable for people who are diagnosed in a very early stage of the infection as a result of preventive testing. They are likely to leave isolation during the most contagious phase of the infection. In this paper, we argue that people who are positive for SARS-CoV-2, but without COVID-19 related symptoms, after a preventive test should be advised to isolate longer than five days.