Introduction
The World Health Organization recommends to test any suspected person with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)1, in order to isolate positive individuals, limiting the spread of the epidemic. On the other hand, extensive isolation of oligosymptomatic infected people and of their close contacts, including many healthcare professionals, could reduce the efficiency of healthcare systems in responding to the epidemic. These different viewpoints are currently debated in Italy, where the healthcare system has a Regional organization; different Regions have adopted opposite strategies in this respect. Some Regions (e.g., Veneto) opted for extensive testing, thus organizing laboratory facilities, whereas others (e.g., Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, and Piemonte) limited diagnostic tests to selected subjects. Conversely, social distancing and isolation measures (including lockdown) were decided at a National level. To assess the potential influence of different testing strategies, we examined the incidence of death and severe cases in 19 regions of Italy.