IATA Calls on Governments to Accept Rapid COVID-19 Tests
New research shows process to be accurate, fast and cost-effective >>
by: Harvey Chipkin
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to accept rapid antigen COVID-19 tests in fulfillment of testing requirements following the publication of new research by OXERA, a consultancy, and Edge Health. The research showed that the tests were accurate (providing broadly comparable results to PCR tests in identifying infected travelers); convenient (delivering results 100 times faster than PCR testing); and cost-efficient (on average 60% cheaper than PCR tests). Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s CEO, said restarting international aviation will energize the economic recovery from COVID-19. Along with vaccines, he said, testing will play a critical role in giving governments the confidence to reopen their borders to travelers. For governments, the top priority is accuracy, said de Juniac, but travelers will also need tests to be convenient and affordable. The OXERA-Edge Health report, he said, “tells us that the best-in-class antigen tests can tick all these boxes.” It’s important, said de Juniac, for governments to consider these findings as they make plans for a restart.
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