DR IAN CLARKE: How I had 8 Covid-19 tests in a space of 10 days

The Civil Aviation Authority has developed a facility to carry out Covid testing at the airport, and has declared that all arriving passengers have to undergo a mandatory Covid test. While I applaud the efficiency of the CAA and government in developing this laboratory, I wonder if mandatory Covid testing for all arrivals is strictly necessary.

A week ago I travelled with my family to Zanzibar, and since everyone arriving at Entebbe must have a PCR test I was duly tested the day before going to the airport. The flight to Zanzibar was about one and a half hours, so my test was 24 hours old when I arrived in Zanzibar, where I found that I had to undergo another Covid test. I noted that this was a rapid test since I could see which test they were using. I am informed that like HIV tests, rapid tests for Covid have become more accurate; therefore many countries are using rapid tests as a first line of diagnosis and then confirming with a PCR, which is a more expensive and complicated test to carry out. Since we were staying in Zanzibar for only five days it was necessary to take another Covid test, this time a PCR, before leaving Zanzibar. Thankfully on arrival at Entebbe they did not insist on another test. Just a few days later I had to travel to Juba on business, so it was back to the hospital for yet another PCR test. This was carried out on the morning of the day before I was due to travel, but that evening I received a call from the hospital that the test had come back positive! However, since I was asymptomatic and had so many recent negative tests I doubted the result.

Rapid tests are widely available in other countries, and a relative who had visited the UK had brought back a box of rapid tests, so I used a rapid test and found it was negative. I therefore repeated the PCR test, which this time came back negative. The positive PCR was most likely a mistake in labeling by the laboratory rather than a false positive. I was therefore able to proceed on my journey to Juba. As I was checking in at Entebbe the gentleman checking my documentation informed me that South Sudan had now adopted a policy of carrying out Covid tests on all Ugandans on arrival in Juba, so I would need to have $55 to pay for this test.

On arrival in Juba I was first off the plane, and when I showed my Ugandan passport I was referred to a young man with a tablet who took down my details electronically in order that I could undergo another Covid test. The system was surprisingly efficient, but I was not at the back of the long line, and a work colleague who found herself at the back, waited for one and a half hours for the test. I duly paid my $55 and had another swab stuck up my nose. I could see again that they were also using a rapid test (actual cost of a rapid test is $10 or less). Since I was staying in Juba for only three days I had yet another test the day before I left in order to travel back. This was also priced at $50 and was noted on the form as a RT PCR. I was now getting used to having a swab stuck up my nose.

While in South Sudan I had heard that the President had officiated at the launch of the testing centre at Entebbe, but fortunately on arrival it was not yet functional, so I escaped yet another test. So in the space of ten days I had eight tests, one of which was wrongly reported as positive. Therefore, while it is commendable in terms of disease surveillance that Uganda is diligent, are we not going a bit over the top? And we also need to take into account the possibility of human error producing false results, as happened in my case.

The CAA has stated that they can reduce the turnaround time of the test to two and a half hours, but every traveller is hoping and praying that this does not mean an additional wait at the airport for three hours, since this extra inconvenience would become a big deterrent to people travelling through Entebbe.