According to a statement released by the airline, the first rapid Covid-19 blood tests took place on Wednesday at Dubai International Airport, with passengers on a flight to Tunisia all reportedly tested before departure.
The tests were conducted by the Dubai Health Authority at the Group Check-in area of Terminal 3 and results were available within 10 minutes.
Emirates claims to be the world's first airline to conduct such tests.
"We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates Chief Operating Officer, in the statement.
"This will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers traveling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates."
Serology (blood) tests aren't meant to diagnose active coronavirus infections. Rather, they check for proteins in the immune system, known as antibodies, through a blood sample. Their presence means a person was exposed to the virus and developed antibodies against it.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, in the early days of an infection when the body's immune response is still building, antibodies may not be detected.
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