Test and trace – failure and success

The United Kingdom, the country which pioneered public health legislation in the Victorian era, has struggled to test and trace in its efforts to tackle the challenge of coronavirus. Alex turns to Dr Bharat Pankhania of Exeter Medical School. With 20 years of expertise in infectious disease control, he details the problems of centralization and under-resourcing which have hampered the fight against the virus – particularly in England. Alex then speaks to Dr Christiansen and Kristina Hafoss MP, who explain how the tiny Faroe Islands have conquered Covid-19 – not once, but twice – through local knowledge and rapid response.