CDC testing requirements for UK travelers are like ‘a fence to keep out a mosquito,’ experts say

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As of Monday, passengers in the UK must have a negative Covid-19 test within three days of boarding a flight to the United States.

Today, President Trump is taking another step to protect the health of the American people, ”the statement said.

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But according to researchers from the CDC’s Covid-19 response team, testing three days before a flight may not yield much, reducing the risk of spreading the virus by only 5 to 9%.

Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, said the new testing requirement “is like putting in a fence to keep out a mosquito.”
The CDC order recognizes that “testing does not eliminate all risks,” but when combined with other measures such as self-monitoring for symptoms, masks, and distance, “can make travel safer.”

Covid-19 tests often lack recent infections, so someone could test negative and actually get infected because they don’t spread enough virus to be detected.

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“Testing 72 hours before a flight will miss many people,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine, who pointed out that the new variant appeared in the UK three months ago and probably already in the United States. States.

On the other hand, testing on the day of departure may be more effective, reducing the risk of transmission by 37 to 61%, according to the CDC scientists’ November report, which is based on mathematical models and has not been peer-reviewed.

Health officials wanted to limit the spread of the UK variant, which appears to be more easily transmitted than other strains of coronavirus.

The CDC did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

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