Michael Mina, an epidemiologist from Harvard T.H. School of Public Health, shares a simple way on how to beat the global pandemic amid the swelling number of infections around the globe.

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The number of COVID-19 infections and death toll across the globe continues to increase. As of today, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center has recorded 19.7 million COVID-19 infections and a death toll f nearly 730,000. 

These numbers raise concerns among experts, researchers, and epidemiologists around the globe. Today's main goal is to beat the infectious and deadly COVID-19 while waiting for the vaccine before the year ends or early next year. 

Dr. Michael Mina, an epidemiologist from Harvard T.H. School of Public Health, shares how to beat COVID-19 using fast and cheat tests that can be taken at home every day. He firmly believed that this is the most effective way to stop virus transmission. 

According to Dr. Mina, these tests right now are designed for medical purposes. They are used to identify whether someone has COVID-19 or not. However, these tests miss 97 percent of people when they are most infectious. 

He also added that COVID-19 is most contagious in the first few days, even if a person does not show any symptoms of the virus. Additionally, a person is more contagious also after showing signs. This means that early detection of the virus is critical.

Dr. Mina explained that waiting for someone to show symptoms before getting tested is not a good idea. This only increases the chance of virus transmission in the earlier stage, especially for younger adults and kids who are potentially the virus spreader according to the previous studies. 

Dr. Mina has been very aggressive in the past few weeks. She has been lobbying heavily for fast, cheap, and at-home tests. He also hopes that the federal government will fund these tests. He also asserted that he has spoken with senators, foreign leaders, and company executives. 

Moreover, the way to stop virus transmission is to use cheap tests that are highly accurate that can detect someone who is potentially transmitting the virus. If this can be done, people will act on it because they are getting immediate results. They can isolate themselves and can help to reduce virus transmission.

He also asserted that cheap tests like this should be done daily. If a person tests positive this day and the next day, he or she needs to self-isolate until he or she tests negative for the virus. He estimated that this test could be done within seven days or one week 

If this will be done and be given attention by the vast majority of people, virus transmission and the global pandemic can be stopped in a matter of weeks while waiting for the vaccine. Once the safe and effective vaccine arrives, then there is a bigger chance for the government to save billions of money in buying vaccines.

These cheap tests will surely make a difference, according to the Harvard epidemiologist. He said that 90 to 95 percent of virus transmission could be reduced if these tests will be done today. There should be a sense of urgency in doing this, just like how the vaccine is being given attention. 

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