XpresCheck, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Concentric by Ginkgo, is performing biosurveillance at U.S. airports. This monitoring of incoming international fliers helps to detect new variants of COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases.

We test travelers arriving in the United States from more than 30 countries for COVID-19. Tests are taken on a voluntary basis (volunteers receive free COVID-19 test kits) and the results are sent to a laboratory for PCR testing. Positive samples undergo “genomic sequencing”, a process that helps identify genetic material found in a virus (such as COVID-19), detect new variants and trends early on, and fill in gaps in global genomic surveillance. Since November 2021, we've tested more than 110,000 participants.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, XpresCheck established COVID-19 testing facilities in airports across the United States. Over the course of 3+ years, we tested more than 200,000 people for COVID-19. As the spread of COVID-19 slowed, and travel restrictions were lifted, we transitioned our efforts to the US CDC Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) Program. Our mission has always been to help keep people safe and protected.

Dulles International Airport (IAD)

6:30 AM - 4:30 PM

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

6:30 AM - 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

6:30 AM - 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Liberty International Airport (EWR)

6:00 AM - 4:00 PM

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

M/T/Th/S 7:00 AM - 2:30 PM,

Sun/W/F 9:30 AM - 5 PM

COVID-19 Variant Tracker

photo of ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses

In September 2019 (during the Delta wave), the Traveler Genomic Surveillance program (TGS) was launched to begin collecting data on COVID-19 variants used to create and update these CDC COVID-19 tracker charts.

Shortly thereafter, during the height of the highly-contagious Omicron variant, we were instrumental in helping to detect COVID-19 BA.2 and BA.3 sublineages (subvariants) several weeks before they were reported elsewhere. This was vital in helping to fuel the program and its subsequent expansion.