• The resource of ECMO has resulted to be particularly important in the event of cases of severe respiratory failure, as in the last pandemic of Influenza A. How necessary is a fast testkit for mitigation of pandemic flu? It is widely feared that a novel, highly pathogenic, human transmissible influenza virus may evolve that could cause the next global pandemic. Mitigating the spread of such an influenza pandemic would require not only the timely administration of antiviral drugs to those infected, but also the implementation of suitable intervention policies for stunting the spread of the virus. Towards this end, mathematical modelling and simulation studies are crucial as they allow us to evaluate the predicted effectiveness of the various intervention policies before enforcing them. Diagnosis plays a vital role in the overall pandemic management framework by detecting and distinguishing the pathogenic strain from the less threatening seasonal strains and other influenza-like illnesses. This allows treatment and intervention to be deployed effectively, given limited antiviral supplies and other resources. However, the time required to design a fast and accurate testkit for novel strains may limit the role of diagnosis. Herein, we aim to investigate the cost and effectiveness of different diagnostic methods using a stochastic agent-based city-scale model, and then address the issue of whether conventional testing approaches, when used with appropriate intervention policies, can be as effective as fast testkits in containing a pandemic outbreak. We found that for mitigation purposes, fast and accurate testkits are not necessary as long as sufficient medication is given, and are generally recommended only when used with extensive contact tracing and prophylaxis. Additionally, in the event of insufficient medication and fast testkits, the use of slower, conventional testkits together with proper isolation policies while waiting for the diagnostic results can be an equally effective substitute. A global influenza pandemic has the potential to cause extensive morbidity and mortality, as well as severe social and economic disruptions. Past and present pandemics such as the Asian flu (1957, H2N2) , the Hong Kong flu (1968, H3N2) and the recent swine flu (2009, H1N1) outbreaks have demonstrated the extent to which the virus can be transmitted swiftly on a global scale (Cox & Subbarao 2000; Fraser et al. 2009 ). In the case of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, although the H1N1 strain is not as lethal as originally thought, there are fears that a deadlier strain may emerge, sparking off the next wave of health crisis. This is in addition to the existing threat of the highly lethal H5N1 avian influenza virus (Hatta et al. 2001) mutating into a human-transmissible variant (Hatta & Kawaoka 2002) .