Towards a European strategy to address the COVID-19 pandemic

[...]a discrepancy of incidence poses considerable friction to European cooperation, economy, and society: high incidence in one country puts the low-incidence strategy in a neighbouring country at risk. Because of this conflict of interest, some countries impose testing and quarantine requirements, hampering international exchange. [...]either strategy can only work effectively if European countries stop acting as if they could fight the pandemic on their own. [...]no vaccine is completely effective at preventing virus transmission. [...]the implementation of the EU DCC must be accompanied by systematic evaluation of its contribution to the spread of present and future variants of concern (VOCs).4 The development of a European strategy for testing travellers and commuters is therefore warranted.5 The advantages of low incidence are known and include: (1) less mortality, morbidity, and long COVID; (2) solidarity with those not yet protected; (3) lower risk of new VOCs emerging and spreading; (4) increased feasibility of comprehensive TTI; (5) less workforce in quarantine and isolation, including those in health care; and (6) ensuring schools and childcare remain open during the coming autumn-winter season.6 In contrast, a high incidence might still overwhelm hospitals and intensive care units in some countries, as estimated in the appendix.