Immunity passports

[reader]

From the BBC

Will you need an immunity passport to travel?

Some of the earliest countries to be impacted by the virus have been quick to adopt health certificates – but can immunity passports really help us travel safely again?

• By Justin Meneguzzi

The global economy has been severely disrupted by Covid-19, with the virus wreaking particular devastation on the travel industry. While international travel will eventually return, either as governments start to bring infection rates under control or with the development of a vaccine, it’s a waiting game that many airlines, tour operators and hotels aren’t willing to play. In recent months, the idea of introducing digital immunity passports has begun to circulate as a potential lifeline to jumpstart international leisure travel.

“An immunity passport is a presentable proof of immunity to Covid-19,” said Husayn Kassai, co-founder and CEO of Onfido, a London-based technology company specialising in facial biometric certification. “It is designed to help an individual prove that they have been tested and that their test result belongs to them, but without having to share any personal information.”

Immunity passports are currently being examined primarily for the benefit of frontline medical workers, allowing them to continue working safely with reduced risk of an outbreak in hospitals.

In April, Onfido was invited to submit a proposal for digital health certificates to the UK Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee. In their proposal, Onfido casts immunity passports as “the linchpin of a new normality”. They would allow users to create a digital identity by uploading an official document (such as a passport or driver’s licence) along with a selfie taken on their phone, which would be verified using AI technology. The identity would then be paired with a certificate of immunity issued by a national health service. The end result would be a code on their phone that could be scanned to enter workplaces, public buildings or even airports. Onfido would provide the technology to verify users’ identities, but it would be up to the UK government to securely manage the health data and introduce a system of testing for immunity.

Consideration of immunity passports in the UK is still in its early stages, with the British government examining submissions from other facial recognition and identity firms, such as Yoti, Nomidio and Berlin-based IDnow, as well as a range of medical experts and academics on the viability of an immunity-based scheme. The jury is still out on whether the UK will formally adopt immunity passports, but the potential for such documents to accelerate reopening parts of public life has caused similar proposals to pop up in Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Israel, Colombia, Argentina, Estonia and the US.

Restoring travel is crucial for global economic recovery. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2019 tourism contributed nearly US$9 trillion to the world’s GDP and accounted for 330 million jobs – roughly one in 10 jobs around the world. However, for travel to fully recommence, governments will understandably require proof that people aren’t bringing Covid-19 with them. Presenting verified proof of immunity might become a requirement for passengers before airlines will allow them to board a flight, similar to a passport or visa.

John Holland-Kaye, CEO of the UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, has welcomed the introduction of an internationally recognised immunity passport, while acknowledging the success of such a scheme would depend on other countries adopting similar systems. “If the UK government, with one of the biggest aviation sectors in the world, were to get together with the European Union and United States, between them they’d have the global diplomatic and economic power to set the international standard,” he told Sky News in May.

On a call with investors in April, CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian said he would “make whatever changes to the business model that will be necessary”, including adopting immunity passports if required by the US government. Bastian pointed out how readily travellers adapted to new security regulations introduced by TSA and Home Security in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and said the most important thing for travellers is confidence their safety is being well managed.

Continues at

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200831-coronavirus-will-you-need-an-immunity-passport-to-travel

 

[ggobkk]

San Francisco airport is slowly re-opening its international departure area.  It has also begun rapid testing for air crews and airport staff.  A harbinger?

Alas, it's a USA airport and a California one...few international destinations to get to that wont quarantine Californians...

 

[anddy]

if real immunity exists and, importantly, how long it lasts is still hotly debated and researched afaik. So not sure this idea can fly (as it were) yet. 

[Keithambrose]

A friend of mine just flew from SFO to LHR, coming to see her elderly mother. She will put up with 14 day quarantine.  She said that SFO was like a ghost town compared to LHR. She could not believe the crowding on terminal train, immigration,  terminal etc. With no temperature checks, etc. People also taking off their masks. I read that they are putting all flights through terminal 3 and 5 which explains the crowding. No doubt economic, but what about health risk? When SARS was around,  Far Eastern  airports had temp checks up and running on all pax within 24 hours. 

[Guest]

18 hours ago, anddy said:

if real immunity exists and, importantly, how long it lasts is still hotly debated and researched afaik. So not sure this idea can fly (as it were) yet. 

You are correct and immunity is AFAIK not proven.   Not enough for there to be certainty with immunity passports.

However, whilst antibody life is doubtful, there has been some evidence published showing that T-cells and some of the other features of the immune system are likely to last for a long time.   e.g. T-cells from the sars-cov-1 outbreak are still present 17 years later, so it's considered likely that it will be the same for sars-cov-2.

Personally I'll be happy if there is sufficient immunity to turn this from a dangerous infection to something very minor.

[As always, the above is based on what I read and I'm not claiming any medical expertise.  Reading and learning just a little about new topics is always a good thing.]