COVID Antibodies and The Need for a Fit-to-Fly Certificate

22 March, 2021  |  Camran Khan

A Pandemic With No End in Sight

The novel coronavirus pandemic has affected our lives for more than a year now. More than four million Covid-19 infections have halted public life in the UK alone. Taking Britain’s whole population into account, this is a large segment of the total population. If you have been unlucky enough to have contracted COVID in the past, you shouldn’t stop taking care to prevent the spread of the virus. If you want to find out whether you have the virus or not, or whether you had it in the past or not, iQ Doctor is offering contactless COVID testing services. 

Re-infection is a Possibility

While it is true that there is a significant decrease in the risk of further health complications from COVID-19, it is still possible for you to contract COVID a second time. Aside from that, other people around you are also at risk of contracting COVID from you if you don’t take the proper precautions, such as wearing masks and socially distancing yourself from other people. You can find out if you had the virus in the past (with the antibody test) or if you currently have it by using our Home Testing Products.

The Spread Has Slowed But Not Stopped

According to a study done by Imperial College London, infections in England have dropped by almost two thirds since January of this year. Infection rates in London have decreased by 80%. However, this decrease in infection rate does not mean that people should become careless. The number of people contracting COVID is an average of 200 people per day. There are still many people getting infected on a daily basis, and taking precautions is more critical now than ever before. All this leads to an understanding that it is essential to follow mandated instructions to observe social distancing and wear masks and gloves. These measures are the bare minimum that everyone should do to prevent the spread of COVID.

The decrease in the rate of the spread of COVID shows that people have been following the advice to wear a mask in public and to stay socially distanced from other people. The lockdowns have also been effective in slowing down the spread of the virus, even though many people are not satisfied with staying locked down in their homes. A relatively good outcome is people over 65 have the lowest levels of the virus, with 0.3% of over-65s getting infected.

A Ray of Hope

With the introduction of vaccinations, things are shaping up to change over time as more and more people get vaccinated. However, there is still a long road ahead. The sole fact of public vaccination does not mean that people should stop taking precautions, behave irrationally and contribute to the virus’ spread. Wearing masks and social-distancing will remain essential until every person in the country is vaccinated successfully.

Rules and Regulations for a Pandemic

Air Travel Still not Back to Normal

International air travel has resumed, but it is not a booming business as it once was. The pandemic has changed the global travel requirements by introducing a whole new set of rules and regulations. These standard operating procedures are a must when travelling to foreign countries.

Countries Taking Precautions

Many countries don’t allow foreign visitors unless they can prove that they have been tested negative for coronavirus. The globally recognized method of proving that is by taking an RT- PCR test just before flying abroad.

A Small Window for Testing 

There is a small 2-3 day window for testing and delivering results. However, it would be best to stay updated with the intended destination country’s travel regulations. As the global pandemic continues, the situation might change, affecting travel plans. Head over to the government’s information portal to stay updated on air travel regulations.

Lockdowns and Social Distancing Worked

The media has been reporting that the number of people getting infected with COVID has decreased recently and continues to decline. However, the NHS does not provide free coronavirus testing unless someone has symptoms or lives with someone who has contracted the virus. If you want to find out whether you are infected or not and don’t have noticeable symptoms, your only option at the moment is to go for private testing. 

At iQ Doctor, we can help you with that.

People who tested positive with COVID and recovered typically develop antibodies circulating in their bloodstream. Even with antibodies, immunity is by no means a guarantee. According to some reports, there have been cases where people have contracted COVID for the second time, but that is relatively rare. 

Although people getting infected a second time hasn’t stopped them from travelling, necessary travel is still a rudimentary feature of the modern lifestyle. Governments and the public are constantly at odds to develop and follow through with new guidelines.

Fame & Access Doesn’t Equal Immunity

Due to the unpredictable nature of the virus during its early stages of spreading throughout the world, the rich and famous whose access normally allows for a high quality of health care, were not able to avoid the Coronavirus. Prince William tested positive for COVID in April, but he didn’t want to concern the media or worry the populace, so he kept silent about it. He seems to have recovered entirely with minimal lingering effects of the virus. On a related note, his father, Prince Charles, also contracted COVID and went into isolation in March of last year.

National heartthrob, Hugh Grant, came down with COVID in February while promoting his new show on HBO, ‘The Undoing’. He announced his diagnosis on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’. According to what Grant said about his COVID experience, it was far from a pleasant bout of illness. “My eyeballs felt about three sizes too big. And this feeling as though some enormous man was sitting on my chest”. 

His sense of smell also vanished, and he had a lot of other symptoms that are identical to COVID patients. Fortunately for his fans, he has recovered without any permanent effects.

The popular actor, Idris Elba, tested positive for COVID in March of 2020. He has fully recovered from it and said that he feels “lucky to be alive and thankful for being able to kick" the virus. The 47-year-old actor told the media that although he was asymptomatic and didn't get the major physical symptoms that other patients get, he said that the virus had a large effect on him mentally. He reported that his cognitive faculties were affected negatively by the virus and to this day, he is still recovering from the mental toll of the virus on his body and mind.

These examples of the seemingly untouchable elite suffering from COVID-19 helped raise awareness of the indiscriminate nature of the virus to the public.

COVID Testing for Air Travel

The RT-PCR Swab Test involves collecting samples with a swab from the back of your throat, near the tonsils. The sample is then collected from the inside of your nose using a long cotton swab. Adopting the  RT-PCR Swab Testing Method as an international standard of COVID testing proves that it is very reliable. Therefore, today, most governments require proof of a negative PCR test to enter their country.

In contrast, the Antigen Test is used to determine whether you have contracted COVID in the past or not. Its method is different, as it measures the number of antibodies in your blood.

If you plan to travel by air, then just having antibodies does not mean that you are fit to fly. Other people are still as likely to contract COVID from you as you are at risk of contracting from them. Therefore, the RT-PCR Swab Test is the only current method of proving that you are not infected and won’t be a risk to others on international flights.

We provide the PCR Home Testing Kit, which you can use to collect your swab sample by following the instructions that come with the kit.

Once you have collected and stored your swab sample, you need to send it to our lab to get it tested. If your test result is negative, you will get a document that shows this result.

You will also get a Fit-to-Fly certificate valid for 2-4 days, allowing you to travel to other countries.

So stop wasting time. Assess and Take Action today and get your PCR Home Testing Kit. Whether you intend to fly for business or leisure, you can rest easy knowing that iQ Doctor will be taking care of your Fit-to-Fly Certificate.

“I ordered my RT-PCR Home Test Kit from iQ Doctor and took the test at home 4 days before I was due to fly. I sent in my sample and received my negative test result in just a few hours, along with the Fit-to-Fly Certificate. I was able to travel thanks to the excellent service being provided by iQ Doctor.” - Jamie Jones