The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the expansion of a program aimed at testing international travelers for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. This initiative involves asking arriving international passengers to voluntarily undergo nasal swab testing and answer questions about their recent travel history. Initially operating at six airports, the program is now being extended to include Chicago’s O’Hare and Miami airports.
The decision to add these new locations is driven by the need to gather more data on respiratory infections originating from regions such as South America, Africa, and Asia. By broadening the scope of the program, CDC officials hope to enhance global surveillance efforts and better prepare for future health threats.
Since its inception in 2021, the program has proven effective in detecting COVID-19 variants at an accelerated pace compared to other monitoring systems. While the primary focus has been on genomic testing for COVID-19, the program also includes screening for two other respiratory viruses – influenza and RSV.
Participants in the program do not receive immediate notification of their test results. However, they are provided with a COVID-19 home test kit to take with them for further monitoring. To date, the program has collected samples from over 475,000 air travelers arriving from more than 135 countries.
In addition to testing individuals, health officials have been analyzing wastewater from international flights at select airports to monitor the presence of COVID-19. There are ongoing discussions within the CDC about the potential expansion of this wastewater surveillance to include other pathogens.
The CDC program currently operates with a budget of approximately $37 million, with two contracted companies – Ginkgo Bioworks and XWell – responsible for sample collection and testing. These companies are collaborating with the CDC to expand the program's capabilities to detect over 30 different disease-causing pathogens.
