BY PAMELA FAYERMAN

As of today, B.C. residents flying on WestJet out of the Vancouver airport will be offered free, rapid COVID-19 tests right before traveling.

The first study of its kind in Canada is a collaborative experiment among UBC and Providence Health Care researchers. It’s sponsored by WestJet and the Vancouver Airport Authority.

The goal is to find out if rapid testing, which produces results within 20 minutes, is a safe and efficient way to test departing passengers at YVR.

Nasal swabs will be used with tiny kits that detect pieces of viral proteins. Such kits are not as sensitive as the gold standard RT-PCR tests used by public health agencies across Canada. But researchers assume that the rapid tests will still detect COVID-19 in asymptomatic travelers or those with mild symptoms.

“We know that asymptomatic carriers exist but what we don’t know is exactly how common it is and how much they contribute to the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Don Sin, a respirologist at St. Paul’s Hospital and co-leader of the study.

“This study will not only help support aviation safety but will also help public health leaders better understand, to what degree, asymptomatic individuals are contributing to the spread of COVID-19.”

Passengers who want to take advantage of the voluntary testing should pre-register and then get tested at the domestic check-in area. The study is open to those aged 19 to 80 who have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days. Guests must be flying within Canada and testing is available only on the day of travel.

Dr. Marc Romney, Co-principal investigator, and a professor at UBC Faculty of Medicine; Medical Leader for Medical Microbiology and Virology at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care

Researchers from UBC and Providence will be collecting samples in a pop-up testing station at the airport. Those who test positive will be required to undergo Health Canada-approved testing using the RT-PCR diagnostic test. For those travellers, WestJet will rebook or cancel flights with no penalties.

“While the world awaits the deployment of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19, there is an urgent need for strategies to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus,” said co-investigator Dr. Marc Romney.

“Our study will inform whether a rapid screening program is a practical and effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amongst travelers.”

Billy Nolen, Vice-President Safety, Security and Quality, WestJet, said in a statement: 

“WestJet is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of air travel through initiatives such as the WestJet-YVR COVID-19 Testing Study.”

As I wrote before, the study has been in the works for some time as researchers conducted laboratory evaluations and validations of various rapid antigen tests that use nasopharyngeal (nose) swabs.

The rapid tests can provide results within 20 minutes. Testing will be conducted only on weekdays, during peak morning hours.

For more information on the study, go to westjet.com/covidtesting. WestJet guests who meet the criteria noted above can register for the study at testingyvr.ca.

Tamara Vrooman, CEO of the Vancouver Airport Authority, said the agency is trying to do its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 “while instilling confidence in those who need to travel.”

 

[email protected]