IATA top doctor says airlines can’t afford to wait for vaccine

The airline industry can’t afford to wait for a vaccine. That’s the message from the IATA’s chief medical adviser, David Powell. On top of face masks, regular hand washing and sanitizing of high-touch surfaces, carriers should work with regulators to introduce reliable coronavirus testing systems for passengers before they board in order to get people back on planes. “The ideal protection is to avoid people who are infectious,” Powell said. “We need a test that’s reliable and fast enough and that’s able to be done in huge numbers.” Right now, that’s a tall order. Manfacturers globally are struggling to meet Covid-19 test-kit demand. And the multiple tests that do exist can often sow more confusion than certainty. Just last month a spat erupted between Singapore and China after the latter found infectious passengers on a flight from the island nation. Singapore said most of the people in question had recovered but “may continue to shed viral fragments for weeks or even months” leading to a positive test result.<br/>