These have FDA’s emergency use authorization.
The travel industry is slowly recovering after the COVID gut punch. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that nearly 2.5 million people in the country were screened on November 28, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This was the busiest day since February 15, 2020—though still 15% less than 2019’s numbers.
It’s predicted that the trend will continue through the holiday season. According to Allianz Partners, holiday travel will increase by 34% in 2021 compared to last year. The threat of the newly-detected Omicron variant is looming large and the next couple of weeks will decide whether it disrupts the Christmas season.
For now, the safest bets are getting booster shots, maintaining social distance, and wearing masks. And if you are traveling to be with family this holiday season, you should consider investing in home testing kits.
The FDA has approved over 400 tests and home collection kits. These include test-by-mail kits where samples are sent to labs and rapid test kits that give you results within 20 minutes. The chances of false negatives are high with self-test kits and you should follow the directions closely to avoid inaccurate results (check this CDC guide for self-testing). In addition, labs can reject your samples if they don’t meet their guidelines.
For international travelers, a good option is rapid test kits that don’t require results to be mailed. The CDC has allowed the use of self-test kits for travelers returning from an international vacation (provided the test offers a telehealth video call and has the FDA’s emergency use authorization). For extended travels and family reunions with unvaccinated or high-risk individuals, it makes sense to perform multiple tests before and after the trip. It’s possible that the new Omicron variant may not get detected with these tests, but you can still find out if you’re positive with any coronavirus variant.
Depending on where you’re going and when you’re using these at-home tests, there are many to choose from and we are highlighting different types of them. The country is witnessing a shortage of test kits, so plan ahead and stock up in advance. Also, don’t forget to check the expiration dates and make sure you pick the right test for international travel—not all can be used to gain entry into the country.
Note: Molecular COVID-19 tests are more sensitive to the virus than rapid antigen tests and can detect it at early stages. Consequently, they’re also more expensive.
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