If you require a COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) prior to travel, your options are limited. Large pharmacies, healthcare networks, county health departments and state health departments typically offer tests two or three days in advance of traveling.
Some countries require pre-departure testing requirements, including specific test type and documentation accepted by immigration officials. You can view their travel requirements online.
COVID-19 Tests
The COVID-19 virus is a new strain of influenza virus that has emerged recently in both the US and other countries, causing outbreaks that could potentially become serious and life-threatening for those exposed. People may experience fever, aches and pains, fatigue, nausea vomiting and diarrhea after coming in contact with it.
Health care professionals can evaluate your symptoms and conduct a COVID-19 test to detect its presence. This test can detect either RNA (which contains genetic material of the virus) or antigen produced by it; for maximum accuracy PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) tests should be used, using samples taken from either your nose or mouth which can produce results within minutes if performed onsite or 1- 3 days depending on location.
Health care professionals use a long swab to collect a sample from inside of the nostrils and send it off for testing in a laboratory, where extracting RNA from it and comparing it to known samples of virus is done; ultimately this test may yield either positive or negative results.
If the PCR test comes back negative, this indicates you do not have COVID-19 and are safe to travel. If it comes back positive however, follow your health care provider’s advice and stay at home until your immune system recovers fully before getting vaccinated as soon as possible.
Some COVID-19 tests may produce false-positive or false-negative results depending on their type and sensitivity as well as sample collection procedures and laboratory analysis processes.
Additionally, other types of specimens, including saliva samples, are being evaluated for use with the COVID-19 test; however, larger studies must first take place before these can be used to validate test results.
Travelers traveling outside the US should consult their healthcare providers regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccination advice before departing. Find country-specific travel rules at the Department of State website. As of May 11, 2023, with the end of a public health emergency came reduced flexibility regarding COVID-19 tests as well as requirements that private insurers provide free at-home tests for Medicare enrollees.
Rapid Antigen Tests
Rapid antigen tests detect certain proteins found in coronaviruses associated with COVID-19 infections. They are usually conducted using nasal swabs and may provide results within minutes or days if sent off to a laboratory for analysis. While less sensitive than RT-PCR testing methods, rapid antigen tests still allow you to detect infection in those showing symptoms of illness.
At home, testing can also be completed with kits that make taking and interpreting tests easy, like the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test kit or others offered by airlines. Although point-of-care testing cannot replace RT-PCR for comprehensive coverage of infection testing requirements before travel or work occurs, such kits provide an alternative that meets those criteria while providing convenience and savings when meeting testing requirements for work or travel purposes.
Rapid antigen tests differ from RT-PCR in that the sample doesn’t need to be sent off for analysis, delivering results almost instantly. They’re also faster at detecting viral infections – they’ll tell you if you have been infected between three and seven days of symptoms appearing; when viruses are most contagious.
However, they can be less accurate for people without symptoms and may produce false negatives; meaning even if your test result comes back negative you should seek medical advice immediately as you could still be infected and need urgent medical help.
Furthermore, they’re less effective at ruling out infection in people who’ve previously tested positive, because antibodies formed against the virus prevent RT-PCR from detecting its presence even though you might still be infected and require treatment.
NUCLEIC AMBILLIFICATION SELF-TESTS (NAATs), are being designed as an alternative rapid test to replace RT-PCR for use in clinics and other settings. These tests should more accurately detect infections by testing for the genetic material of coronavirus rather than its spike protein; thus making identification of infections much quicker. These tests have yet to become widely available but should become so within months.
Antibody Tests
With many countries still seeking answers about when the COVID-19 pandemic will end, some hope antibody tests might provide a path forward. This test looks for proteins produced by immune systems to determine whether someone has been exposed to COVID-19 and developed immunity; their presence indicates exposure. Unfortunately, however, no one knows whether that immunity will hold against new variants of the virus that emerge; nor how long that immunity might last.
Antibody tests, more commonly referred to as serology, are an increasingly common means for validating vaccines or monitoring infections like HIV. While each antibody test varies slightly, all employ an antigen (a part of a virus mimicked as bait) in an attempt to attract antibodies – some home users can perform these at home via finger-prick testing, while lab machines are capable of processing hundreds of samples an hour! Typically this measurement uses IgG antibodies but more specific tests also exist that measure other forms.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved several antibody tests for both public health and clinical purposes. While they have lower sensitivity than PCR tests and may not be as accurate as molecular tests which detect both viral particles as well as their genetic material, antibody tests tend to be more expensive than their PCR counterparts and won’t become widely available until there is sufficient supply of reagents.
Despite these reservations, some researchers are pushing ahead with developing these tests. Working alongside industry and academia, they evaluate different tests such as antigen and antibody tests; additionally they’re working on creating a new generation of tests which may be more sensitive and easy to interpret than current ones.
As a result, the FDA is increasing their oversight of antibody testing. They will soon require that commercially marketed antibody tests receive Emergency Use Authorization prior to being sold in the US, and publish results of ongoing independent evaluations that provide an in-depth picture of current test landscape and may inform future product developments.
Self-Administered Tests
MHRA acknowledges that some self-testing kits may not comply with regulations for self-tests. A kit bearing either the CE, CE UKNI or UKCA mark and an Approved Body 4-digit ID indicates it meets these regulations for self-tests; otherwise it should be reported via the Coronavirus Yellow card site as being for professional use.
Costing considerably less than its counterpart, RAT tests could make them more accessible in rural areas where medical and health professionals may be scarcer. A positive result from a RAT does not guarantee you are free of infection; you should continue following all national and local rules on regular handwashing, social distancing and wearing face coverings to be sure.
