Covid-19: Morocco launches mass testing & early diagnosis campaign

Moroccan ministry of health has launched a massive Covid-19 testing campaign in all regions of Morocco, as part of the preparation for the lifting of the containment.

The massive screening campaign to last until late July or early August in all regions of Morocco projects to conduct 1,790,000 screening tests and 125,000 early diagnosis tests.

The 90-day campaign began between May 10 and 15 in at least one of the worst-affected regions of Morocco.

This decision was announced by a circular from the Minister of Health, dated May 20.

“A screening strategy for Covid-19 cases has been developed with the aim of detecting asymptomatic cases,” the minister wrote. He asks the regional directors of health “as soon as possible, to develop regional operational plans for the implementation” of this strategy.

This strategy combines early diagnosis and screening on a fairly broad scale.

The Minister recalls the characteristics of the epidemiological situation, with its territorial disparities: development in waves; slowing of the speed of spread; predominance of benign forms with reduced lethality; significant rejuvenation of confirmed cases.

“The current containment cannot be extended indefinitely, and the National Response Committee is currently preparing to lift it,” adds Khalid Ait Taleb. He points out that early identification of pauci-symptomatic forms (very few symptoms) through early diagnosis and asymptomatic forms through screening can reduce the period of transmission and thus help to contain the spread.

The screening strategy will be targeted and adapted to the regional context.