For entry to many countries, you must have a negative coronavirus testing. To fly to the United States you will need to have a negative coronavirus test within three days. This applies regardless of whether or how many vaccines you have. Many other countries have similar policies.I am not trying to debate its merits. Both sides are my view.It is a good idea to have your skin tested, especially when the number of cases in many places is so high.However, I don't understand blanket testing requirements. I can see the merit in testing unvaccinated people traveling from the UK to America, but it makes no sense to test someone who is vaccinated coming from New Zealand.All this is just a side note to the main point I was trying to make. The need for quick testing to travel has created an industry that many entrepreneurs in the medical (ish) field have taken advantage.Despite this, I feel that some of these services are becoming less legitimate. I'm not referring to major testing centers at airports or through pharmacies or other reputable business, but the doctors who will come to you to perform tests, regardless of whether you are at a hotel or another location.These are just a few examples that I have heard from friends and from my own experience.Recently, I was tested for travel. My ID was not checked. However, I was asked for my name. While that isn't a big issue, I could have had another person take the test.I had been tested before at my hotel. The doctor did not place the swab in the usual tube after it was placed up my nostrils. Instead, he tossed it straight into his briefcase (which is quite disgusting on many levels).Another time, I was talking to the man who performed the test. He said that he has been doing tests every day for one year and had never seen anyone positive. This makes me wonder (and this was not in a country where there are low cases).A friend had a PCR test done at his hotel. He received a letter 20 minutes later confirming that he was negative. I'm not saying it was impossible but it would have been unlikely if the offsite laboratory was located in the basement.Another friend shared with me that he had recently received a rapid antigen testing. The person who performed the test said he was positive right away after the swab was removed from his nose.These situations may be rare, and maybe I have just had some exceptional experiences. But I feel that the industry is becoming a bit shady. These testing companies make their money by how many people they test and not on actual results. It doesn't matter if they write on official letterhead that you are negative. If they don't get caught, or if they are just trying to make a buck, they will be punished.Bottom lineCoronavirus has created a new industry. Although testing is great in general, the for-profit industry of travel testing has grown to be quite large. There are many places you can get tested, and most countries don't require you to use one particular lab.Recent experiences have shown me that the best practices are not always being followed. There will always be bad apples in any industry, even if they are fake test results. I am curious to know how widespread this practice is.Anyone else experienced a suspicious coronavirus situation while traveling? Do you think that at least some of these companies may be analyzing the results?
