Cases in South Korea spiked initially. However, it swiftly developed a test for the virus - and has now tested more than 290,000 people. It conducts about 10,000 tests daily for free.
"The way they stepped up and screened the population was really remarkable," says Ooi Eng Eong, a professor in emerging infectious diseases at the National University of Singapore.
South Korea had a rapid approvals system in place for infectious disease tests, following an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory syndrome in 2015 that left 35 dead.
Is S Korea's rapid testing the key to coronavirus?Why US testing failed - and can it catch up now?By contrast, testing in the US was delayed - initial test kits were faulty, and private laboratories found it hard to get their tests approved. Many people struggled to get a test, and they were expensive. Eventually, free testing for everyone was passed in law.
Meanwhile, the UK has said that only those in hospital will be routinely tested. That makes it harder to identify cases with milder symptoms.
Prof Pangestu recognises that in some countries there aren't enough test kits. However, he describes extensive testing as "the most important priority", adding that "testing those who are symptomatic but not necessarily hospitalised and still spreading the virus is perhaps even more important".
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