March 9, 2021

A Rapid Method to Evaluate Pre-Travel Testing Programs for COVID-19 A Study in Hawaii

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

Keywords (Tags): testing, travel

• [Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A rapid field study conducted in the Kahului main airport in Maui, Hawaii identified 2 SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive participants out of 279 consecutively sampled participants boarding for departure, despite all participants having a negative PCR test 72 hours prior. This positivity rate corresponded to 7 cases per 1,000 travelers, which corresponds to an estimated 52-70 infected travelers arriving daily to Hawaii during November to December 2020. Participants were sampled anonymously at the time of departure to avoid interfering with travel plans, but had to have a ≤14 day stay in Hawaii to be eligible for the study.

Hou et al. (Mar 8, 2021). A Rapid Method to Evaluate Pre-Travel Testing Programs for COVID-19 A Study in Hawaii. Pre-print downloaded Mar 9 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.06.21251482