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.