Introduction
The World Health Organization recommends to test any suspected person
with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2
(SARS-CoV-2)1, in order to isolate positive
individuals, limiting the spread of the epidemic. On the other hand,
extensive isolation of oligosymptomatic infected people and of their
close contacts, including many healthcare professionals, could reduce
the efficiency of healthcare systems in responding to the epidemic.
These different viewpoints are currently debated in Italy, where the
healthcare system has a Regional organization; different Regions have
adopted opposite strategies in this respect. Some Regions (e.g., Veneto)
opted for extensive testing, thus organizing laboratory facilities,
whereas others (e.g., Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, and Piemonte) limited
diagnostic tests to selected subjects. Conversely, social distancing and
isolation measures (including lockdown) were decided at a National
level. To assess the potential influence of different testing
strategies, we examined the incidence of death and severe cases in 19
regions of Italy.