Experts In Spain Agree That PCR Testing At Airports Is Useless

Spain’s plan to reopen borders includes digital and temperature controls but no testing at airports.

Tourists have already begun to arrive in Spain, so what checks will they have to undergo at the airport to screen for COVID-19? Essentially three: A digital health questionnaire; a visual test, to check for noticeable symptoms; and a temperature check.

But no airport in the country will have diagnostic tests, PCR or rapid tests of any kind. Fernando Carreras, deputy director of Foreign Health, the agency that oversees the entire operation, explains that there is simply “no capacity” for it, and neither do the experts nor the institutions advise it.

Besides the difficult logistics, PCR testing on tourists might be problematic as it could increase the rate of false negatives. The Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine, Public Health, and Hygiene (SEMPSPH) points out that “30 seconds after a PCR negative you could become infected”. They also say that although PCR is one of the most reliable tests, its efficiency with asymptomatic cases is unknown, once again potentially offering false negatives.

Serological passports, a document showing the level of antibodies, has also been rejected, as the percentage of the population with antibodies is too low, it would be a restriction on freedom of movement and it would not solve anything, as the antibodies may only last a short time, according to SEMPSPH.

The solution then? “There is no good solution”, says SEMPSPH. But the measures in place seem to be the most viable and if they work, “they are going to help a lot with tracing”.