Coronavirus: Unlocking the lockdown - a strategy for the end game

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the world hard. In four months we have seen millions infected, thousands dying and the healthcare systems of even the most developed countries strained to breaking point.While most of the rich are significantly poorer, the poor are much worse off than before.

We cannot achieve herd immunity by allowing widespread infection of the people as the number of cases will quickly overwhelm healthcare systems. FLATTENING THE CURVE To continue to flatten the epidemic curve so that the number of critical patients does not exceed the number of intensive care beds, and that patients requiring hospitalisation do not exceed hospital beds available.

How can we tolerate the presence of the virus while, at the same time, operating our economy and returning to some level of normalcy? However, there is no evidence yet that people who have recovered are protected from a second infection. Instead of a nasal or throat swab, we would use saliva, which can be collected easily and with no discomfort. Research has found that the virus can be found in the saliva as well. Screening for negatives, however, could sometimes result in a high proportion of false positive findings.In such tests, biosensors which identify viral products in the saliva can trigger specific optical signatures. These signatures are read off speedily, hopefully within minutes.

A test where a negative result gives high confidence that a person is infection-free could serve as a"health visa" to allow him to return to society from lockdown.

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