Impact of Mass Workplace COVID-19 Rapid Testing on Health and Healthcare Resource Savings

Abstract

Background: The epidemiological situation generated by COVID-19 has cast into sharp relief the delicate balance between public health priorities and the economy, with businesses obliged to toe the line between employee health and continued production. In an effort to detect as many cases as possible, isolate contacts, cut transmission chains, and limit the spread of the virus in the workplace, mass testing strategies have been implemented in both public health and industrial contexts to minimize the risk of disruption in activity. Objective: To evaluate the economic impact of the mass workplace testing strategy as carried out by a large automotive company in Catalonia in terms of health and healthcare resource savings. Methodology: Analysis of health costs and impacts based on the estimation of the mortality and morbidity avoided because of screening, and the resulting savings in healthcare costs. Results: The economic impact of the mass workplace testing strategies (using both PCR and RAT tests) was approximately €10.44 per test performed or €5575.49 per positive detected; 38% of this figure corresponds to savings derived from better use of health resources (hospital beds, ICU beds, and follow-up of infected cases), while the remaining 62% corresponds to improved health rates due to the avoided morbidity and mortality. In scenarios with higher positivity rates and a greater impact of the infection on health and the use of health resources, these results could be up to ten times higher (€130.24 per test performed or €69,565.59 per positive detected). Conclusion: In the context of COVID-19, preventive actions carried out by the private sector to safeguard industrial production also have concomitant public benefits in the form of savings in healthcare costs. Thus, governmental bodies need to recognize the value of implementing such strategies in private settings and facilitate them through, for example, subsidies.

Cost–benefit analysis of partnership working between fire and rescue and health services across England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Each vaccine dose costs approximately £27.58 (£15 for the vaccine and £12.58 for administration, including transport, medical equipment, cleaning and refrigeration9). Benefits for mass testing are calculated at £108.75 per test due to improved use of health resources (£37.07/€44.39) and health rates (£71.68/€85.84) 16. Benefits for mass vaccination are calculated at £105.82 (€116.67) per vaccine due to reductions in hospitalisation, intensive care unit admissions and testing 17…”

“…Monetary values for costs and benefits were identified through a structured literature search for existing economic modelling of similar activities using ScienceDirect, Scopus and PsycInfo 9 10 13–17 28–36. Details regarding the sources used to calculate costs and benefits for each of the eight activities are provided in the Results section.…”

“…However, little focus has been directed toward examining this issue. Instead, economic work has tended to be directed at measuring the impact of the pandemic on gross domestic product12 and the cost–benefit of PPE,13–15 mass testing16 and mass vaccination 17…”

A mathematical model to assess the impact of testing and isolation compliance on the transmission of COVID-19

“…Mass testing is an effort to test the general population to detect infectious individuals, including those who remain asymptomatic ( Shen et al, 2021 ). It is cost-effective ( López Seguí et al, 2021 ), detects new infections rapidly, and provides an accurate picture of spread within regions by capturing asymptomatic and symptomatic cases ( Shen et al, 2021 ). Tests for COVID-19 were developed expeditiously, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing an Emergency Use Authorization for the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on February 4, 2020 ( CDC, (Accessed June 14, 2022 ), and for the first point of care antigen test on May 9, 2020 ( Hahn & Shuren, 2020 -05-09).…”

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests: Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Literature

“…Therefore, the RAT has been developed for large-scale utilization, so that subjects can perform the self-test on a regular basis with a quick result and without the need to consume laboratory capacity. It has been estimated that through mass testing in workplaces in Spain, the economic impact was EUR 10.44 per test performed, or EUR 5575.49 per positive case detected, with the savings mainly derived from better use of health resources and improved health rates due to subsequent prevention of patient morbidity and mortality [9]. A study in Barcelona estimated that the benefit-cost ratio of doing a RAT was 1.63 [10].…”