TY - JOUR
T1 - Routine SARS-CoV-2 testing frequency and risk of severe COVID-19
T2 - A nationwide population-based study
AU - Abu-Raddad, Laith J.
AU - Ayoub, Houssein H.
AU - Coyle, Peter
AU - Tang, Patrick
AU - Hasan, Mohammad R.
AU - Yassine, Hadi M.
AU - Al Thani, Asmaa A.
AU - Al-Kanaani, Zaina
AU - Al-Kuwari, Einas
AU - Jeremijenko, Andrew
AU - Kaleeckal, Anvar Hassan
AU - Latif, Ali Nizar
AU - Shaik, Riyazuddin Mohammad
AU - Abdul-Rahim, Hanan F.
AU - Nasrallah, Gheyath K.
AU - Al-Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith
AU - Butt, Adeel A.
AU - Al-Romaihi, Hamad Eid
AU - Al-Thani, Mohamed H.
AU - Al-Khal, Abdullatif
AU - Chemaitelly, Hiam
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s).
PY - 2026/9
Y1 - 2026/9
N2 - Objectives This study assessed whether higher routine SARS-CoV-2 testing frequency is associated with reduced risk of severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19. Methods A nationwide matched case–control study was conducted in Qatar between February 5, 2020 and December 18, 2021, comparing 10,909 severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 cases to 98,811 controls from Qatar’s population. Associations between testing frequency (three- and two-level classifications) and severe outcomes were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results Higher routine SARS-CoV-2 testing frequency was not associated with reduced odds of severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19. In the three-level classification analysis, aORs were 1.03 (95% CI, 0.97-1.10) for intermediate and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.74-1.01) for high versus low testing frequency. In the two-level classification analysis, the aOR was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.88-1.07) for high versus low testing frequency. Findings were consistent across subgroup analyses among clinically vulnerable individuals, outcome-stratified analyses by severity level, and sensitivity analyses restricted to Qatari nationals and the earliest severity episode per individual. Conclusions Greater routine testing was not associated with reduced individual-level risk of progression to severe COVID-19, supporting more targeted allocation of testing resources while preserving the public health value of testing for case identification and transmission control.
AB - Objectives This study assessed whether higher routine SARS-CoV-2 testing frequency is associated with reduced risk of severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19. Methods A nationwide matched case–control study was conducted in Qatar between February 5, 2020 and December 18, 2021, comparing 10,909 severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 cases to 98,811 controls from Qatar’s population. Associations between testing frequency (three- and two-level classifications) and severe outcomes were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results Higher routine SARS-CoV-2 testing frequency was not associated with reduced odds of severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19. In the three-level classification analysis, aORs were 1.03 (95% CI, 0.97-1.10) for intermediate and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.74-1.01) for high versus low testing frequency. In the two-level classification analysis, the aOR was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.88-1.07) for high versus low testing frequency. Findings were consistent across subgroup analyses among clinically vulnerable individuals, outcome-stratified analyses by severity level, and sensitivity analyses restricted to Qatari nationals and the earliest severity episode per individual. Conclusions Greater routine testing was not associated with reduced individual-level risk of progression to severe COVID-19, supporting more targeted allocation of testing resources while preserving the public health value of testing for case identification and transmission control.
KW - Case-control
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Hospitalization
KW - Morbidity
KW - Mortality
KW - Testing frequency
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105042578292
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108851
DO - 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108851
M3 - Article
C2 - 42235916
AN - SCOPUS:105042578292
SN - 1201-9712
VL - 170
JO - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
M1 - 108851
ER -