Is there a mass testing policy on Corona? Yes, and no. Bavaria (the state) is headed toward the idea of mass testing, and you (the consumer, the patient) would be the one asking for it....not the doctor who typically approves the test. However, this would only affect Bavarians. A national mass testing policy? No....no such policy exists, and if you bring up the topic around the Federal Health Minister (Spahn, CDU)....it's a serious 'no'.
So if you follow public TV....ARD....this morning, there's a short piece which suggests that the Interior Minister (Seehofer, CSU) wants the national mass policy established. His authority in this? Marginal....the Health Minister would really be the person to press on with this.
Seehofer being a Bavarian? Well, yeah....that's part of the story as well.
In his statement, Seehofer does admit one thing....the extra cost of this can't be a health insurance issue, it'd have to come out of general tax revenue.
Is there a scientific reason to go to mass testing? In this case, it's only a voluntary thing. You could offer it tomorrow (free of course), and you might get sixty-million Germans over the next two weeks....demanding a test. Then the same sixty-million might turn around in four weeks, and demand another test. Can you even derive some trend or 'gain' out of two different results?
Peer pressure going on people....that they 'need' to test? That would probably be the next issue to arise, or some company saying everyone in the 500-person group needs to test every two weeks.
That's part of this whole discussion.....once you start something, where does it end?
The trouble with false positives on the test? It doesn't appear Germany has the issue as you see in the US.
I have my doubts that this will be a national topic....at least here at this point in the year. Maybe if a second wave occurs, or some change in the virus is noted....it'd draw more attention.
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