Having a nose swab test is the best way to diagnose travelers for COVID-19. If the PCR test result is positive, it means, most likely, that you have the virus; however if it is negative, then you don’t have the virus. Positive travelers are not allowed to cross borders. In this article, find out about PCR tests, quarantine, and borders.
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Screening
PCR test for COVID 19 is used to diagnose people by extracting nose swabs to find out if they contain a virus. It is the most reliable testing because of its accuracy. This test is for anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19. The swabs are inserted into the person’s nostrils to collect any material in the nose. After being sealed in a tube, the swabs are sent to a laboratory. The lab technician extracts the sample from the swab to identify any possible virus. Special chemicals and a PCR machine are used to analyze the genetic material. If any reaction occurs, for example, if one of the chemicals produces a fluorescent light, it means there is a virus, which is known as SARS-COV2. The signal indicated by the fluorescent light is interpreted on software, which intern interprets as positive.
A negative test result might mean you don’t have enough symptoms at the moment of the screening; the virus cannot be detected by the machine. The result is also negative if the contamination is recent. Having a negative test result doesn’t mean that you are safe from the virus, because you can be later exposed to COVID-19 and catch the virus. A positive test result means that the person has many of the symptoms, with mild illness, such as a headache or the flu or sore throat, or nasal congestion. In this case, the patient can be treated with some medications. However, if you feel exhausted it means that your immune system has deteriorated. Therefore you need to contact your healthcare provider. The test result can be obtained within 24 hours or more. In addition to the PCR, the patient may have other kinds of tests, such as the antigen test or the antibody test.
Quarantine
Some airline companies send their passengers on quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival at the destination. This is the case if the traveler has been tested negative or feels sick without any apparent symptoms of COVID-19. The person might have been exposed to COVID-19 before the screening or before the flight; as a result, no apparent symptoms are detected. Keeping someone in quarantine is a way to prevent the person from spreading the virus to other people. Quarantine is not necessary if you tested positive for COVID-19 within the past few months. Also, you do not have to be kept in quarantine if you have been negative and have received adequate treatment against the virus. Furthermore, vaccinated people should not be quarantined even if they have been in contact with an infected person. If you stay at least six feet from the others and take all the other precautions such as wearing a mask and frequent hand-washing, you can reduce the risks of infection or of being contaminated. If you always find yourself among large crowds, you mean to increase your chance of catching the virus. This means that even if you have been vaccinated it is always important to take precautions to reduce your possibility of being kept in quarantine.
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Borders
To keep its national citizens safe from the COVID-19 pandemic, several measures have been taken by countries that accept welcoming foreign visitors.
- If you fly to Canada, you can get tested at the transit airport. This means you are required to present valid PCR test results upon your entry to the country. Otherwise, the traveler will be denied entry to the country.
- Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result should be provided before crossing any border. This rule applies to all travelers to most countries, aged five years old and older.
- A COVID-19 vaccine passport is required by most officials before you enter their country. Aside from that most airline companies that accept to transport passengers to their countries of destination require the travelers to be tested within 72 hours of the flight departure.
To be valid, the test results should contain your name and personal information, the type of test you have made, and the date when the test was conducted. Any test result which exceeds 3 days before the flight date won’t be taken into account. Strict measures are taken by countries that reopen their borders to foreign travelers. All requirements must be respected to prevent any eventual transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants to the local nationals. This includes further screening and testing upon arrival at the airport. This means that passengers are required to have another test and receive the test results at their hotel as soon as they arrive at their destination.
In conclusion, unless you are free from this virus, your visa application will be rejected, and you want to be able to enter a territory. However, quarantining international travelers and any other passengers after their arrival is also safe to prevent possible contamination. If you’re ready to cross the borders it is time to schedule your trip to any of the countries which open their borders through Onward Ticket.
