MILPITAS, Calif., December 16th, 2020 – Bay Area travelers who require a quick and accurate COVID-19 test are in luck. IGeneX, a fully certified lab that provides COVID-19 testing for major hospitals, employers, and professional sports teams, announced this week it has tested its 2000th airline traveler and is expanding its hours to meet the holiday demand.
IGeneX started offering drive thru testing for airline travelers in October, when various states and countries put policies in place requiring visitors to be tested. One test option delivers test results on the same day, and the other in 24 hours. Both tests are Real-time RT-PCR tests that detect an active infection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The company also offers antibody testing for travel to countries, such as China, that require that type of test.
Most destinations require that visitors provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Some countries are even more strict: China requires that both an RT-PCR and IgM antibody test be taken within 48 hours before boarding. Regardless of whether it’s two or three days, finding a test that can be completed in that short of a time frame can be challenging.
“Traveling over the holidays is stressful in the best of times, let alone during a pandemic,” said Dr. Jyotsna Shah, president of IGeneX, Inc. “We are pleased to be one of the first labs to offer same-day RT-PCR and IgM antibody COVID-19 tests. Since the pandemic began, we have been scaling up our infrastructure to the point where we can now offer results in as little as six hours while still maintaining a high level of integrity and accuracy.”
Some airports have helped address the timing challenge by offering testing immediately before flights. But these tests are mostly rapid antigen tests, often completed in 15 minutes, and are inferior to RT-PCR testing performed at a laboratory and may not be accepted at your destination. Moreover, no airports currently provide IgM antibody testing for travelers that need that test.
“We strongly recommend travelers choose an RT-PCR COVID-19 test, if possible,” said Dr. Shah. “The rapid antigen test can be good for detecting highly symptomatic people, but if you are traveling then you are likely symptom free and at a greater risk of receiving an inaccurate reading from a rapid antigen test.”
Testing must be ordered at least one day in advance and customers must physically go to IGeneX headquarters to be tested. Mail-in samples are not accepted for this program. The company reports that customers have come from as far away as South Lake Tahoe, Fresno, and Los Angeles.
How to Get Testing at IGeneX
1. Visit the IGeneX website and order either the same-day test or 24-hour test
2. Schedule an appointment from 8:30am – 10am, M-F at IGeneX’s headquarters
3. Visit IGeneX and perform a swab under the guidance of an IGeneX technician
4. IGeneX will process your sample and deliver results within the appropriate timeframe
For more information on COVID-19 testing for airline travelers, please contact IGeneX today at 1-800-832-3200 or visit https://www.igenex.com.
