Portable Covid-19 Testing Device for Yachts Available from Bluewater

It's a scenario we can all envisage, but what would you do as captain of a superyacht? Imagine you have 20 crew and 12 charter guests enjoying a luxury cruise around the Bahamas or the Mediterranean, when someone suddenly feels unwell. Is it just a cold or is it something more? Social distancing is going to be difficult.

Although yachts will have implemented procedures to minimise the risks of infection, should anyone on board be carrying the virus but showing no symptoms, it could quickly spread to other passengers and crew putting everyone at risk, resulting in the need to quarantine. So how do you minimise the risks to reassure owners, guests and the crew?

While the virus is still very much a threat, the only way way forward is through rigorous monitoring and testing. Bluewater has been working with dedicated medical professionals to provide a solution for yachts and has secured a portable device which *detects this virus the minute it enters your blood stream, giving an accurate result even if you are asymptomatic.

The Portable Rapid Antigen Testing Device (RATD)

• Gives an accurate result no matter what stage of infection, for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 disease (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) in pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stages of the Infection

• Ability to test all your crew and guests quickly once the cassettes with each sample have been prepared (the RATD can process 50 test cassettes per hour).

•  Simple testing with nasal swab sample.

• Fully mobile device (also operates on inbuilt battery) so you can test people before they board, ensuring your yacht is kept completely free of the virus.

• Can be administered onboard by the crew member certified to give medical care

• Available for sale to yachts in the EU, UK and USA

• USA-manufactured, FDA Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) & CE marked **Antigen testing device. Not a test for antibodies, but a quick and easy mobile test for the presence of the virus. 

Keeping all aboard safe

With the lifting of borders and fewer restrictions on social and leisure activities, people are moving about more freely, but the virus is still a part of everyday life. It's therefore in everyone's  interest to find ways to minimise the risk of contracting and spreading the disease. The RATD is a viable solution that all yachts can use to keep the environment coronavirus-free and protect everyone on board.

Bluewater will also be testing instructors and students attending all crew training courses at their facilities in Antibes and Palma. As one of the leading training schools for the yachting industry, the move is designed to give students peace of mind so they can focus on their studies in a safe learning environment.  

*Detection rate
As with all methods of testing, the detection rate can be lower in pre-symptomatic patients due to a potential lower viral concentration at this early disease stage.

**Antigen
An antigen is any substance (including bacteria, viruses) that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against it. This means your immune system does not recognise the substance and is trying to destroy it.

Further information about the Portable Rapid Antigen Testing Device (RATD) is available here.