Since the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the COVID-19 pandemic on the 11th of March, 2020, it has been on individuals’ minds across the world. The global health crisis has changed the way people move because of quarantine protocols and physical distancing mandates that have been implemented to reduce and control the spread of the virus.
Consequently, local and international travel requirements – specifically, medical clearance – became stricter in several countries. New travel policies currently require travellers to secure a fit to fly COVID test certificate to ensure they are not carriers of the disease.
Among the available fit-to-fly COVID test options, the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR test is often recommended for travellers since more airlines accept it. This diagnostic test includes swabbing the nose and the throat to collect respiratory material that can indicate possible signs of the virus.
Another option is the Antigen Test or Rapid Antigen Test. Like the PCR test, this method also involves a nose and a throat swab. However, it is often recommended for work and personal use and might be of limited use for travel.
Additionally, when people choose what type of COVID test they want to use, it is ideal that they determine which option is more suitable for them. It is advisable to seek the advice of a medical professional in such cases.
A highly infectious disease that began in 2020 originated in Wuhan, China, had the world scrambling for a vaccine that can prevent it from spreading. SARS-CoV-2 caused COVID-19 is a respiratory outbreak that authorities, public health officials, and the World Health Organization declared as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, as the number of people who contracted the disease reached millions worldwide.
It is a disease that the world hasn’t seen in a hundred years, with an alarming death toll. People started to feel anxious because of the news headlines that made the public think of when the pandemic be over. But as much as even heath working want for things to go back to normal, it was simply the opposite because of health institution setbacks and discovering the new strains of the virus.
People who start to experience flu-like symptoms are immediately isolated for a PCR Test or COVID-19 Test to confirm if a person contracted the viral disease or not. Aside from this, the public was advised to observe washing of hands, social distancing regularly, and mask-wearing to minimize or avoid the potential transfer o virus from one person to another.
Also, part of government strategies is implementing community lockdowns or quarantines to lessen the number of people exposed to the virus. Many companies started to implement a work-from-home set up for employees. Airline companies, however, limited the number of flights and implemented fit to fly COVID test for tourists or local people who intend to travel regardless of the situation.
Fit to fly COVID test is a way for airlines to properly look after a travelers’ health before being allowed to fly. Proof of health certificate is a must for healthy people to travel, while people who tested positive for COVID-19 are quarantined for 1-2 weeks and are again tested to see whether they are already cleared from the virus threat or not.
On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization declared what started as an outbreak of the respiratory disease in Wuhan City, China, a pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 was a disease so contagious that it increased at a faster rate before health authorities could even contain it—infecting millions of people worldwide.
From that time on, health experts released health protocols for people to follow to lessen the spread of the virus: washing of hands, social distancing, and mask-wearing. But as months progressed and the number of cases reported on daily news skyrocketed, these protocols seem to be “ineffective” because of the rising case and death toll. It is when the governments decided to have stricter rules like community quarantines.
As for airline companies that conduct local and international travel, people go through thermal scans. Some undergo fit to fly COVID test to present fit-to-fly certificates, but the worst-case scenario is implementing travel bans and rescheduling delayed flights.
On the other hand, health professionals were quick to create a test to determine if an asymptomatic person is COVID positive or not through the PCR test. The PCR or polymerase chain reaction test is done by getting a swab sample through the nose and the throat. It is trusted to be a test with the highest accuracy than antigen tests. People who tested positive for the coronavirus are immediately isolated in quarantine facilities and are given treatments to regain full recovery.
With all these events at present, a question that has long been lingering in people worldwide needs a concrete answer. The only sure thing to answer when the COVID-19 pandemic ends is when the majority of the population is vaccinated.
Even after several months of fighting against the disease, it is still a staple topic in media outlets as they continue to report the latest updates regarding the pandemic. With cases still high in various territories, people raise the question, “When will the pandemic end?”
For more information on the matter, an infographic from Harley Medic International is provided below.