The Case for Altruism in Institutional Diagnostic Testing

• DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.16.21253669
• Publication Date: 2021-03-24T18:30:19Z
• Authors: Ivan Specht; Kian Sani; Yolanda Botti-Lod...; Michael Hughes; Kristin Heumann; Amy Bronson; John Marshall; Emily Baron; Eric Parrie; Olivia Glennon; Ben Fry; Andrés Colubri; Pardis C. Sabeti
• Keywords: Institution; Altruism

Abstract Amid COVID-19, many institutions deployed vast resources to test their members regularly for safe reopening. This self-focused approach, however, not only overlooks surrounding communities but also remains blind community transmission that could breach the institution. To relative merits of a more altruistic strategy, we built an epidemiological model assesses differential impact on case counts when instead allocate proportion tests members’ close contacts in larger community. We found testing outside institution benefits all plausible circumstances, with optimal use externally landing at 45% under baseline parameters. Our results were robust local prevalence, secondary attack rate, capacity, and contact reporting level, yielding range proportions from 18% 58%. The performed best assumption are known institution; it still demonstrated significant benefit even without complete knowledge network.