![]() Working onboard a superyacht is a challenging job in normal circumstances. On top of managing guest profiles, itineraries and needs, captains and crew now have the additional task of mitigating the well-known risks of a pandemic. For some vessels the emergence of COVID-19 has resulted in such measures as more rigorous cleaning and regular mask use and for others it’s been the purchase of their own testing equipment. Deciding whether such an option will work for you requires careful consideration of a number of factors – you’ll have to think about why you want to test, who you want to test and how often you want to test. Alongside that you’ll need a level of medical understanding. HOW ONE VESSEL USES THEIR TESTING EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN SAFE OPERATIONS "With rapid COVID-19 testing onboard we are able to not only do screening for joining guests and crew as well as tour operators and pilots, we are able to confirm or rule out COVID-19 if a crew/guest presents with symptoms. "It is a great and very useful investigative tool for the Medical Bay to have." Brent Palmer, the Director of Education at MedAire, (virtually) leads the training of Covid testing equipment onboard a number of vessels and says: "the ability to administer onboard testing provides validation that a vessel’s risk mitigation strategies (point of entry screening, temperature checks, mask usage) in protecting against COVID-19 have been effective." HOW THE TESTING PROCESS WORKS 1. A sample is taken using a swab LOOKING TOWARDS A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD It's important to also note that many of the devices we recommend don’t just test for COVID-19, they also enable you to test for STIs and other viruses, like Influenza A and B, Dengue and Zika to name a few. This means that such equipment is not just a solution to the current pandemic, but an investment in the future health of your crew. HOW TO SET UP YOUR ONBOARD TESTING SOLUTION To determine the most appropriate option for your vessel and effectively set it up, we would arrange a consultation call with a member of our medical team. |