Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea

The rapid expansion of testing capacity is imperative for an adequate response to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. South Korea rapidly secured large-scale testing during the early stages of COVID-19 in 2020 by leveraging the country’s experience with the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome...

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Main Authors: Jae-Sun Park, Gab Jung Kim, Sang Won Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2025-08-01
Series:Emerging Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/8/24-1745_article
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author Jae-Sun Park
Gab Jung Kim
Sang Won Lee
author_facet Jae-Sun Park
Gab Jung Kim
Sang Won Lee
author_sort Jae-Sun Park
collection DOAJ
description The rapid expansion of testing capacity is imperative for an adequate response to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. South Korea rapidly secured large-scale testing during the early stages of COVID-19 in 2020 by leveraging the country’s experience with the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak; the initial response was relatively successful. A key difference between the 2 outbreak responses was the expansion from public to private testing laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding testing capacity during an infectious disease crisis should involve consideration of the overall response system and social conditions and not just the number of patients. If there are concerns about a crisis developing, testing capacity expansion should begin as soon as possible. Furthermore, accuracy should be ensured, especially when testing capacity is expanded. South Korea’s experience in developing diagnostic systems and adopting testing strategies underscores the value of proactive and well-timed preparedness for emerging infection disease outbreaks.
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spelling doaj-art-576bb52a634e4ff09561ea78cfa9637a2025-08-20T03:56:49ZengCenters for Disease Control and PreventionEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-60592025-08-013181810.3201/eid3108.241745Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South KoreaJae-Sun ParkGab Jung KimSang Won Lee The rapid expansion of testing capacity is imperative for an adequate response to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. South Korea rapidly secured large-scale testing during the early stages of COVID-19 in 2020 by leveraging the country’s experience with the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak; the initial response was relatively successful. A key difference between the 2 outbreak responses was the expansion from public to private testing laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding testing capacity during an infectious disease crisis should involve consideration of the overall response system and social conditions and not just the number of patients. If there are concerns about a crisis developing, testing capacity expansion should begin as soon as possible. Furthermore, accuracy should be ensured, especially when testing capacity is expanded. South Korea’s experience in developing diagnostic systems and adopting testing strategies underscores the value of proactive and well-timed preparedness for emerging infection disease outbreaks. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/8/24-1745_articlecommunicable diseasesinfectious diseasesCOVID-19respiratory infectionssevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2SARS-CoV-2
spellingShingle Jae-Sun Park
Gab Jung Kim
Sang Won Lee
Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea
Emerging Infectious Diseases
communicable diseases
infectious diseases
COVID-19
respiratory infections
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
SARS-CoV-2
title Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea
title_full Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea
title_fullStr Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea
title_full_unstemmed Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea
title_short Optimal Timing for Expanding Diagnostic Laboratories, South Korea
title_sort optimal timing for expanding diagnostic laboratories south korea
topic communicable diseases
infectious diseases
COVID-19
respiratory infections
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
SARS-CoV-2
url https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/8/24-1745_article
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AT sangwonlee optimaltimingforexpandingdiagnosticlaboratoriessouthkorea