British virologist warns F1: 'Testing once before GP is not enough'.

Formula 1 announced that everyone will be tested on COVID-19 as part of their safety plan before entering the paddock at a Grand Prix. That sounds simple, but to do so carefully, if these people have to be in isolation at least five days in advance.

That's what Dr Jeremy Rossman, a virologist at the University of Kent, says to the Independent. The reason for this is that the virus is simply rarely detected in the short term. A single test is then not enough, so one will have to be tested several times over a period of five days.

Twee weken in quarantaine zou nog beter zijn

"Current tests are not sensitive enough to detect infections within the first couple of days after infection. Most people will have a detectable virus in three to five days, so testing everyone three times over a span of five days would give good confidence that most people are not infected."

During those five days one has to be in quarantine, but even then, according to Rossman, you can't be sure that the virus won't sneak into the paddock after all. In some people the virus lurks around in the body longer before it can be detected. That can take up to two weeks.

Because it is virtually impossible to isolate everyone two weeks before each race, the virologist insists that the personnel in the paddock should protect themselves against the virus in every possible way.