CHICAGO and ABBOTT PARK, Ill.,
May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- United and Abbott today announced a first-of-its-kind
collaboration to use Abbott's BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Home Test and
Abbott's NAVICA app to help make the international travel
experience more seamless. Recently updated CDC guidelines permit
travelers to self-administer a rapid antigen test under the
real-time supervision of a telehealth service and use the verified
negative test result to board an international flight to the U.S.
if they test negative.
"We appreciate the private sector proactively helping travelers
have access to easy, reliable COVID-19 test options," said CDC
Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD,
MPH. "Comprehensive testing that is easy, rapid, accurate and
trusted is a fundamental strategy for preventing the spread of
COVID-19."
United customers can depart the United
States with the BinaxNOW Home Test in their carry-on bag and
administer the test via the eMed digital health platform while
overseas, avoiding the need to find a testing center abroad. United
is the only airline to offer end-to-end integration between a
digital platform and a testing app with the integration between the
United Travel Ready Center platform and Abbott's NAVICA app which
provides a seamless passenger experience when departing and
re-entering the United States.
Since the Travel-Ready Center launched in January, United customers
have been able to easily access testing or vaccine requirements
needed for travel destinations, upload completed test results and
vaccine records, as well as have them verified, all within the
United app.
"We want to give our customers greater peace of mind that when
they travel internationally, they'll be able to return to the U.S
quickly and safely," said Toby
Enqvist, chief customer officer at United. "The Abbott
BinaxNOW Home Test meets CDC requirements and, along with our
partners at Abbott, United is doubling down on our commitment to
make international travel as safe and convenient as possible by
offering an easy testing option when customers are ready to return
to the United States."
The BinaxNOW Home Test kit is lightweight, about the size of a
day planner and fits easily into a passenger's carry-on luggage,
briefcase or purse. It is recommended that passengers travel with
more than one BinaxNOW test in their possession in the event of an
inconclusive test result.
"The BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test is the most studied and widely
used rapid test in the United
States today and with our partner United, we're making
testing even more broadly available as the country returns to
international business and leisure travel," said Andrea F. Wainer, executive vice president of
Abbott's rapid and molecular diagnostics business. "The CDC's
recent guidance also reinforces the importance of our NAVICA app,
because airlines and other safety-conscious industries, such as
workplaces and higher education, will need digital solutions that
can be used to quickly and easily validate and verify test
results."
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test can help restore a sense of
normalcy to everyday life by reuniting family members and loved
ones, providing additional confidence while traveling, and making
it easier to do international business. Authorized since
August 2020, more than 200 million
BinaxNOW tests have been distributed throughout the United States, where they've been used by
K-12 schools, universities, nursing homes, and underserved
communities and serve as a powerful tool to help prevent the virus
from spreading.
For a detailed description of the Abbott home-testing process,
visit united.emed.com. To view video and photos of the process
click here.
The Abbott BinaxNOW™ Home Test meets the the CDC's guidance due
to the unique digital proctor experience through eMed, which
provides observed sample collection, testing and digitally verified
test results. Abbott's recently authorized BinaxNOW™ Self Test for
over-the-counter purchase is not eligible for travel purposes.
About United
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the
World." For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on
Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of
UAL is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more
fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing
technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading
businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices,
nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues
serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at
www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter
@AbbottNews.
The BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home
Test is a lateral flow immunoassay intended for the
qualitative detection of nucleocapsid protein antigen from
SARS-CoV-2. This test is authorized for prescription home use with
self-collected observed direct anterior nasal (nares) swab samples
from individuals aged 15 years or older who are suspected of
COVID-19 by their healthcare provider within the first seven days
of symptom onset or adult collected nasal swab samples from
individuals aged four years or older who are suspected of COVID-19
by their healthcare provider within the first seven days of symptom
onset.
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home
Test is to be performed only with the supervision of a
telehealth proctor.
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SOURCE United Airlines