5 CONCLUSION
This study confirmed the potential of Ct values as a real-time indicator
for future outbreaks by analyzing nationally collected Ct values.
Furthermore, we found that the degree of the spread of virus differed
depending on the Ct value even if the size of the outbreak was similar.
Based on these findings, viral load and an indicator reflecting viral
load could be presented alongside the number of new COVID-19 cases to
facilitate public health decision making pertaining to infection control
responses and resource allocation.