Newly Approved COVID-19 Tests For Travel
Several months have passed, and the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. Normalcy is yet to return in different areas of life, especially air travels. Air passenger traffic is less than half of what it used to be, and most people are looking to travel for different purposes without going through the hassle of COVID testing for travel and several other travel requirements.
Although research is ongoing to get vaccines for the coronavirus, substantial progress is yet to be made in the area of vaccination against this pandemic. The aviation industry is also looking to find solutions to make air travel easier and safer.
Different coronavirus tests are available, but there is still a need to get other types of test to make COVID-19 testing widely available. This has led to the approval of over-the-counter and at-home COVID-19 testing kit. With the newly approved testing kit, you can perform your coronavirus test at home and get your result within 20 minutes. The test is about 90% effective, which means it is more effective than most of the rapid COVID-19 tests available.
Since the vaccine is yet to be available to the members of the public, this home and OTC tests will help further stop the spread of the coronavirus. It may also have a positive effect on international travel.
Air travel safety
Countries, cruise lines and airlines require passengers to wear their face masks. In a bid to ensure people are safe, airlines now have improved air filtration systems and have increased disinfection of aeroplanes. More airlines are now offering passengers COVID-19 testing to ensure that sick persons do not board flights and reduce the risk of spreading the virus. The improved safety measures have helped a lot of people to avoid quarantine at their travel destination.
The aviation industry has been clamouring for more countries to remove travel bans and replace the need for quarantine with COVID 19 PCR test for travel because the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced their revenue.
The IATA (International Air Transport Association) has called for more affordable, rapid, scalable, easy-to-operate, systematic and accurate COVID-19 testing for passengers before departure to encourage more people to travel.
Types of COVID-19 tests
COVID-19 testing to enable more people to travel may not be simple as there are different test with different levels of accuracy. The PCR COVID test is the gold standard for COVID-19 testing, but it is quite expensive and has certain limitations when it comes to testing time. The available rapid tests which include the antigen and molecular test may be more appealing because they give results within a short time, but they may not be as accurate as PCR test.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is considered the most accurate COVID-19 test. Its sensitivity is about 71 – 98%, and this is the test most countries require passengers to get before their departure.
The problems with the PCR test for travellers is that there is the risk of delayed results which may cause people to cancel their trip. Some people may not be able to get their test done and receive their result within the stipulated time frame of their travel destination.
Rapid testing may be a solution to the problem the PCR test poses to travellers, as this can help more people get their test and result on time to travel. Although some key players in the aviation industry believe that getting the rapid test before departure and on arrival is the best solution, experts warn that people should not rely on rapid tests because of their reduced accuracy.
Rapid tests have several benefits, but their inaccuracy may give travellers a false sense of security if the test becomes widely accepted for international travels.
COVID-19 testing
Airlines require passengers to have a negative COVID-19 test result before they can board their flights. However, some airports like the London Heathrow Airport now offer COVID-19 test to passengers before departure to countries that need a negative COVID-19 test result on arrival.
You may be able to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine in some travel destinations like Hawaii if you a negative COVID-19 test from an approved testing centre.
At-home testing
The new at-home testing does not require you to purchase the testing kit, and you can perform the test at home. The test involves using a phone app to interpret the result. However, most countries may not accept this test for people who intend to travel.
The at-home test is affordable and will help families know whether or not they are infected to be able to attend holiday events during this pandemic.
COVID-19 testing setbacks
The COVID-19 test helps detect persons who have the virus, including asymptomatic patients, but the testing cannot prevent travellers from contracting the virus. In a few cases, infected persons may have a negative result if the level of the virus in their system was low at the time of the testing. The virus has an incubation period, and the test may not be able to detect it during this incubation period, although the infected person can still transmit the virus.
One thing you should note is the test only tells you your status at the time of your sample collection, so it is possible to get a negative result but have the virus if you came in contact with an infected person after your sample collection.
Although some rapid tests are now available and innovation have made a few of the tests more accurate, there is still a need for people to quarantine when they travel. One way to ensure the safety of travellers is for people to have their pre-flight COVID-19 test, then a short period of quarantine at their travel destination and a post-flight test.
Takeaway
COVID-19 testing is only one way to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, but travellers still need to take extra caution like wearing their face mask, practising social distance, and thoroughly washing their hands.
With the testing requirement for travel, more people are becoming confident to plan their trips. Airlines are also trying various approaches to help curtail the spread of the virus and encourage more people to travel.
If you intend to travel, get your COVID 19 testing in London at The Travel Clinic London. You can contact us on 020 37457527 to book an appointment for your COVID-19 test.