With a Covid-19 vaccination reckoned to be at least 18 months down the track, testing remains one of the most important options for combatting the pandemic. WE HAVE A SIMPLE message for all countries. Test, test, test. Test every suspected case. These are the words of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, directorgeneral of the World Health Organization (WHO), who in March 2020 declared the outbreak of respiratory disease Covid-19 to be a pandemic.