The retention of a robust set of testing requirements is the correct way to reopen travel, argues Cignpost Diagnostics co-founder Denis Kinane
Recently-introduced rules for international travel mean that fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England are no longer required to take a PCR test. Instead, passengers are able to take the simpler and cheaper lateral flow test.
While this decision serves as a shot in the arm for the travel industry, which is gradually re-opening after the pandemic, there remain public health concerns about moving away from the gold standard PCR tests. Primarily this is because it is this test that has proven itself to be the most effective way to detect potentially dangerous new variants.
These public health fears about the changes in travel rules are exacerbated by the worryingly high levels of infection in the UK currently, with tens of thousands testing positive every day. Cignpost’s own data also shows continuing high levels of positive tests among unvaccinated passengers with four in every 1,000 people testing positive on arrival in the UK, despite having to test negative with a lateral flow test before boarding a plane.
That would mean at current rates that 400 people would arrive every day with Covid into the UK – and that is why we need to retain a way to detect if they have the virus.
We recognise that the government has a difficult task in trying to balance the need to protect the country from new variants with a desire to re-open the economy. While our preference would have been to retain PCR tests for longer, now that the government has made the decision to switch to Lateral Flow, we believe that the role of private Covid testing companies is to ensure that these are as robust as possible.
In that respect, the decisions the government took are encouraging. First, because all passengers need to book a lateral flow test which they have to take within two days of arrival, so guaranteeing that they will be tested. The system in place should also ensure that they can only take a single test.
Second, because they require all passengers to submit a photo of their test result that can then be verified by the testing company. This means anyone testing positive can be identified so they can then take a PCR test – the results of which can be sequenced for variants.
Finally, the government has – rightly – insisted that only testing providers that can demonstrate their medical and scientific credentials are able to offer these lateral flow tests. These include having a registered medical practitioner to oversee the test processes, like the Chief Medical Officer who leads this work at Cignpost.
In addition, providers must have a clinical scientist that has oversight of all clinical practices. These requirements, taken together, are sensible precautions that should ensure we have the maximum chance of picking up positive tests and having the results sequenced. It will also keep out the rogue testing companies that have overcharged consumers or even failed to conduct the tests properly.
It is critical over the next few months that we continue to be vigilant in taking sensible precautions that minimise the danger from Covid. The small number of restrictions that remain in place for international travel are designed to achieve that goal.