Airline passengers undergo Covid-19 blood tests before boarding

[gargamon]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/emirates-passengers-blood-test-covid-19/index.html

 

(CNN) — Perhaps a sign of what the future holds for air travelers, Dubai-based airline Emirates has begun carrying out Covid-19 blood tests on passengers at the airport prior to flights.

According to a statement released by the airline, the first rapid Covid-19 blood tests took place on Wednesday at Dubai International Airport, with passengers on a flight to Tunisia all reportedly tested before departure.

 

The tests were conducted by the Dubai Health Authority at the Group Check-in area of Terminal 3 and results were available within 10 minutes.

Emirates claims to be the world's first airline to conduct such tests.

"We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates Chief Operating Officer, in the statement.

"This will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers traveling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates."

 

The airline has not stated whether any passengers would be refused boarding based on the results of the test. CNN Travel has reached out to Emirates for more info.

Serology (blood) tests aren't meant to diagnose active coronavirus infections. Rather, they check for proteins in the immune system, known as antibodies, through a blood sample. Their presence means a person was exposed to the virus and developed antibodies against it.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, in the early days of an infection when the body's immune response is still building, antibodies may not be detected.

Still, the tests will likely be viewed as a step in the right direction by air travelers, as the world grapples with the question of when and how to safely ease travel bans.

Etihad Airways, also in the UAE, announced it's set to trial new self-service kiosks at its hub airport in Abu Dhabi in late April to help identify travelers with medical conditions, potentially including the early stages of Covid-19. The technology is designed to monitor the temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of a passenger.

Airlines around the world have grounded the majority of their fleets due to the coronavirus pandemic, with international air travel slowing to a near standstill as countries close their borders or instill stringent quarantine measures.

The International Air Transport Association's latest analysis shows that the Covid-19 crisis will see airline passenger revenues drop by $314 billion in 2020, a 55% decline compared to 2019.

Many of the commercial planes still taking off are repatriation flights, organized in coordination with governments to aid citizens stranded abroad.

According to the latest figures, the US State Department has coordinated the repatriation of 62,985 Americans from 106 countries since January 29, 2020.

 

 

[gargamon]

Really kind of pointless. They test antibodies to see if you have had it. Good to know but useless when determining if it is safe to let you fly.

[ukrules]

35 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Really kind of pointless. They test antibodies to see if you have had it. Good to know but useless when determining if it is safe to let you fly.

It's pretty obvious where this is heading. Only the immune will be allowed to fly in future. Like you say the tests are useless for other reasons.

 

Then again this could just be a good way to 'population sample'  test to see how many people have already had it.

 

There's some good information on antibodies here : https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/antibody-tests-may-hold-clues-covid-19-exposure-immunity-its-complicated

 

The unknowns begin with how much an immune response to SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—tells us. Early studies suggest the production of IgM and IgG in COVID-19 patients typically occurs between 7 and 11 days after exposure, with IgM antibodies appearing first, followed by IgG antibodies.

Edited April 16, 2020 by ukrules

[Pilotman]

Good way to trash your airline business.  This would be totally unaccptable on a large scale and unworkable in most western coutries and in Asia where it would be seen as akin to common assault.   Other airlines would just take all their passengers off them.   

[ukrules]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

Good way to trash your airline business.  This would be totally unaccptable on a large scale and unworkable in most western coutries and in Asia where it would be seen as akin to common assault.   Other airlines would just take all their passengers off them.   

I'd like an antibody test to see if I've had it already and I'd pay a few thousand Baht for it as well.

[johng]

14 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Then again this could just be a good way to 'population sample' 

Or another way to gather everyone's DNA..full confidentially of course !

[treetops]

12 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Good way to trash your airline business.  This would be totally unaccptable on a large scale and unworkable in most western coutries and in Asia where it would be seen as akin to common assault.   Other airlines would just take all their passengers off them.   

Seems to me like it would make it more popular if you knew there was a reduced risk from your fellow  passengers.

[Antonymous]

What the future holds? Pretty clear where it is headed.

 

Mandatory vaccination

Microchip to prove you've been vaccinated

Rapid scan of your personal chip at check-in so bothers nobody who has complied

 

No microchip, no travel. And also no access to...(fill in the blanks).

GOTCHA! That is in the year 2020.

 

Fast forward to 2022. Chip now loaded with all medical history and financial status. You make a large purchase and get "Sorry Sir we can't complete your transaction because it appears you owe tax. We've alerted the tax authorities for you. Have a nice day".

 

Fast forward to 2024. Society goes cashless, all transactions made with scan of your microchip.

 

You go into your fave bar in Pattaya and take out a pretty girl. She scans in the 5,000 baht transfer to her account. Ten seconds later you get a call from your wife asking what the hell you just purchased. Thirty minutes later there's a knock on your short time hotel doors and armed police officers arrest you for sleeping with a girl who is 17 years and 364 days old....OK, now I'm being fanciful, but you get the drift.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Antonymous
Having fun

[RotBenz8888]

They'll need a fast PCR tests to detect if a passenger in fact has the infection.

Please note that you must arrive to the airport no less than 10h before departure....

 

[sqwakvfr]

Sounds like a good idea until your the one who gets a False Positive Test.  What then? Go to the back of the line and wait 30 minutes and retest?  I guess the word will be”. Arrive Really early to ensure enough time for testing and check in” I can’t imagine every check in counter  will have the testing machine?  Chances I will make one International Flight this year(the one takes me back to my homeland).  

 

Flying will be difficult.  I cannot imagine any airline will allow maximum passenger load form now on.  Just imagine what your last Air Asia flight was like.  The last time I flew Air Asia every seat in the Airbus A320 was full.  With Social Distancing guidelines I believe airplanes will have a max passenger load at 50 to 60 %??  Of course this pretty much guarantees losing money for most airlines.  “The New Normal”.  

[uhuh]

4 hours ago, Antonymous said:

What the future holds? Pretty clear where it is headed.

 

Mandatory vaccination

Microchip to prove you've been vaccinated

Rapid scan of your personal chip at check-in so bothers nobody who has complied

 

No microchip, no travel. And also no access to...(fill in the blanks).

GOTCHA! That is in the year 2020.

 

Fast forward to 2022. Chip now loaded with all medical history and financial status. You make a large purchase and get "Sorry Sir we can't complete your transaction because it appears you owe tax. We've alerted the tax authorities for you. Have a nice day".

 

Fast forward to 2024. Society goes cashless, all transactions made with scan of your microchip.

 

You go into your fave bar in Pattaya and take out a pretty girl. She scans in the 5,000 baht transfer to her account. Ten seconds later you get a call from your wife asking what the hell you just purchased. Thirty minutes later there's a knock on your short time hotel doors and armed police officers arrest you for sleeping with a girl who is 17 years and 364 days old....OK, now I'm being fanciful, but you get the drift.

It's a one way thing. 

Asia will certainly not let in people from the toxic countries (Europe and the western hemisphere) who didn't and don't care much about covid.

 

On the other side,  the US or Germany have never had a problem with infected people coming from China.