SARS-CoV-2 Testing Prior to International Airline Travel, December 2020-May 2021

While there have been several case reports and simulation models of SARS-CoV-2 transmission associated with air travel, there are limited data to guide testing strategy to minimize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and transmission onboard commercial aircraft. Among 9,853 passengers with a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR performed within 72 hours of departure from December 2020 through May 2021, five (0.05%) passengers with active SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified with rapid antigen tests and confirmed with rapid molecular test performed before and after an international flight from the United States to Italy.

Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings - September 1, 2021 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Aaron J. Tande, Matthew J. Binnicker, Henry H. Ting, Carlos Del Rio, Lindsey Jalil, Matthew Brawner, Peter W. Carter, Kathleen Toomey, Nilay D. Shah, Elie F. Berbari Tags: Brief Report Source Type: research