LAUSR

The cases of Veneto and Lombardia, contemporaneously affected neighboring regions in Italy, provide 2 telling examples with strikingly different endings. As of April 15, 2020, a total of 44,107 tests per million people have been performed in Veneto, which is double the number of tests conducted in Lombardia (Fig. 1). Indeed, in contrast to the neighboring region, Veneto adopted a large-scale population screening model at the beginning of the outbreak, allowinghome isolation for a larger number ofmild (or asymptomatic) cases (85% vs 60% of active cases according to the last estimates).4 This strategymay have avoided overwhelming the health system, with a consequent positive impact on the case fatality rate in Veneto, which is currently almost 3 times lower than that in Lombardia. In fact, in line with previous modeling predictions,5 Lombardia did run out of intensive care beds at the end ofMarch, resulting in the need to transfer critical patients to other Italian regions or European countries. Furthermore, between one-half and one-third of the daily national deaths are still being recorded in this region at this time. At a time when Italy is facing its biggest challenge since World War II, the ‘Veneto model’ indicates that early mass screening for SARS-CoV-2 can make a positive difference, and it should be recommended to other countries responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.