Errors to avoid if you get tested for Covid

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, México

Errors to avoid if you get tested for Covid to go to the United States As of this January 26, a new restriction to travel to the United States during the health contingency comes into effect: submit a negative Covid-19 test to the airline before boarding the flight. However, it is possible that following this rule will cause some errors. Here we list them so that you are careful and no problem occurs during your trip.

1. Take the wrong test Remember that there are different tests for Covid-19 that can tell you if you have the disease or have had it in the past. According to Nirma Bustamante, director of the Mexico Office of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should take a test that can detect whether or not you have an active infection. For example, the PCR test or the antigen test. They will NOT accept a serological test. At the end of this note, check out which proof is which. The United States Embassy in Mexico has a list of laboratories where you can take the test; They are not the only ones, they are only examples. Here we show you the laboratories located in CDMX and the State of Mexico.

CDMX – ABC Medical Center (Observatory Campus): PCR and antigens.
-ChektAhora: PCR and antigens.
-Pharmacies of Savings: antigens.
-Hospital Ángeles: PCR and antigens.
-Hospital Español: PCR and antigens.
-Hospital San Ángel Inn Universidad: PCR and antigens.
-Jenner Clinical Laboratory: PCR and antigens.
-Laboratorio San Ángel: PCR and antigens.
-Laboratorios Azteca: PCR and antigens.
-Olab laboratories: PCR and antigens.
-Médica Sur: PCR and antigens.
-Olarte and Akle: PCR and antigens.
-Orthin Lab: antigens.
-Quest Laboratories: PCR and antigens.
-Dignified Health: PCR and antigens. Mexico state
-Chopo: PCR and antigens.
-Hospital Satélite: PCR and antigens.

2. Get tested out of time Three days is the maximum date in advance with which you must take the Covid-19 test that you are going to present to your airline. If you do it before that deadline, you will not be accepted to board the plane. It is important that, when you make your appointment with the laboratory of your choice, you ask if your test will be in time to travel. Due to logistics and demand issues, some laboratories may take longer. If your flight is delayed and for that reason the 72 hour time prior to the trip is exceeded, you have to apply another test.

3. Travel with children and do not test them All passengers over the age of two must have a Covid-19 test for the airline to review. In addition to submitting the Covid-19 test results, you must sign a document bearing witness to this and present it to the airline. The same company will be in charge of giving you the document, but if you want to have it from before, you can find it here.

Parents can present testimony for the minors they travel with.

Do you have to quarantine when you arrive in the United States? On January 21, President Joe Biden signed an order to make quarantine on arrival a requirement for all international travelers. The exact terms in which this rule must be followed have not yet been announced. The CDC recommends quarantining for seven days after your arrival.

Covid-19 test types As explained by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are two different types of tests used: diagnostic and antibody.

A) Diagnostic tests. They can show if the person has an active coronavirus infection and if they should be quarantined to avoid infection. Diagnostic tests are divided into two subtypes: molecular (this includes PCR) and antigen (you find them that way in labs). In a diagnostic test, the sample is taken using a nasopharyngeal swab. A molecular test (or PCR) can take less than a day or up to a week if the demand is very high in a laboratory. The antigen test usually takes 15 to 30 minutes.

B) Antibody or serological test. As its name clearly says, it looks for antibodies produced by your immune system in response to a threat that you have already faced. Antibodies can take days or weeks to develop after you have an infection and can stay in your blood for several weeks after recovery. An antibody test does not tell you if you are currently infected. The sample is collected by means of a finger prick to obtain blood. Serological tests can be delivered the same day, or a maximum of three.