Is Large-Scale Rapid Cov-2 Testing a Substitute For Lockdowns? The Case of Tuebingen

Marc Diederichs, Peter G. Kremsner, Timo Mitze, Gernot Müller, Dominik Papies (), Felix Schulz () and Klaus Wälde
Additional contact information
Peter G. Kremsner: University of Tübingen
Dominik Papies: University of Hamburg
Felix Schulz: University of Mainz

No 14334, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Various forms of contact restriction have been adopted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Only recently, rapid testing appeared as a new policy instrument. If sufficiently effective, it may serve as a substitute for contact restrictions. Against this background we evaluate the effects of a unique policy experiment: on March 16, the city of Tuebingen set up a rapid testing scheme while relaxing lockdown measures-in sharp contrast to its German peers. Comparing case rates in Tuebingen county to an appropriately defined control unit over a four-week period, we find an increase in the reported case rate, robustly across alternative specifications. However, the increase is temporary and about one half of it reflects cases that would have gone undetected in the absence of extra testing.

Keywords: (correcting the) bias; COVID-19; reported number of CoV-2 infections; number of tests; SIR model; unbiased epidemiological severity index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2021-04
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Published - published as 'Is large-scale rapid CoV-2 testing a substitute for lockdowns?' in: PLoS ONE, 2022, 17 (3), e0265207.

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Working Paper: Is large-scale rapid CoV-2 testing a substitute for lockdowns? The case of Tübingen (2021)
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