Greg66

And then a not directly related question: does anyone have direct experience of the time it takes between onset of symptoms and passing a PCR test? I saw upthread that for omicron it is on average 9 days from symptoms to a clear LFT, but a PCR is more sensitive as I understand it.

corporate-wage-slave

It should be less than 9 days for Omicron BA.2 on LFT, which I presume is what is the issue here - it can be as few as 4 days, 6 days is probably the median from first positive or symptom. For PCRs it depends how many cycles the test is using, which varies from 25 to 55, and there are about 90 devices now in use, so it is difficult to say. But if boosted and aged about 40 and male, about 8 days can work on PCRs, though not set to 55 cycles. I'm not sure about how 2-4-1 works here, and by all means report back when you find out - but I'd imagine you either get the refund, the FTV or you both rebook.

firstlight

Interesting. Tested pcr positive 3 days ago, the destination i'm going to in 23 days accepts recovery certificates if i continue to test pcr +ve in the 72 hours before departure, but this certificate seems to cost extra so hoping it won't be needed. Is there any information about how many cycles various fit2fly test providers use so I can select one that doesn't set the dial to the max?

Greg66

Thanks CWS. The "patient" in question is my daughter. Presumed infection date of 8 March. Negative LFT 11 March, positive LFT today (13 March). Pre flight PCR booked for 21 March and due to fly 23 March.

It seems likely that she'd egt through a medically administered LFT pre-flight, which would get her on the plane. But her destination is YVR where they have random PCR testing of arrivals. So the risk of testing positive on arrival and having to isolate is only managed effectively by a negative pre-flight departure.

She's 22, double jabbed and boosted. Final year of Uni and it's the family ski trip. Pushing her flight back 5-8 days is an option, but only if it increases the chances of her pre-departure PCR turning up negative.

Tiresome.

firstlight

If you are in the UK I'd suggest she gets a confirmatory PCR ASAP as I think she can then get a recovery certificate after 14 days which might work if any subsequent pcr was +ve. That's what I'm planning on for my trip to far east early next month although your current timescales don't work a week delay would bring that into play if the destination accepted recovery certificates.

Greg66

That's a good point, allied to shifting her flight back a day or so. For Canada she can get in ten days after a positive PCR and will be exempted from random PCR testing on entry. Thanks.

corporate-wage-slave

Collinson I know is 37 (which is a sensible amount). I'm not researching all the UK's providers! Will a Lateral Flow result be OK? Or perhaps LAMP?

corporate-wage-slave

That's almost all the right indicators for a fast recovery. I would stick to daily Lateral Flow tests and with any luck she will be OK on or about 18 March. If she keeps and dates the catridges and lines them up she may be able to project her progress that way. In which case I'd look to a LFT solution on the day of departure. I don't think Canada are doing many random PCRs now, but yes, that is the risk she will have to ponder. In the mean time lots of sleep and not too much stress.

etiene

Is there any difference with Holiday FTVs - e.g. limited to use on a new holiday booking, or are they just simple cash vouchers?

KARFA

BAH FTVs are useable towards new BAH bookings only. You can't use them as evouchers towards flight only bookings.

etiene

Thanks, thought I'd seen that somewhere. Not a big deal, just good to know...

firstlight

Thanks, I wouldn't expect you to :-). Destination requires PCR test before departure and on arrival. My lateral flow positive is now much fainter so hoping for PCR negative in 3 weeks. But in any case have copied the country in question embassy's rules on entry which state recovery certificate is acceptable if PCR positive.

speedbird66

This is a really difficult question to answer. You're absolutely right that a PCR test is much more sensitive than a lateral flow (I was a molecular biologist in a previous life). Unfortunately it's possible for PCRs still to pick up fragments of inactive viral wreckage in your system weeks or even months after you got rid of the infection - the test simply looks for bits of viral RNA but can't tell if they are active or not. As corporate-wage-slave mentions above, the sensitivity of the test is related to the cycle threshold (Ct) value. In layman's terms, the Ct is a measure of how hard you're looking - the higher the Ct, the more chance of finding something.

NHS advice is (or certainly was) not to get another PCR within 90 days of a positive test, because a positive result within this time frame could still be due to remnants of the previous infection (and it's highly unlikely you'd have been infected again in this time scale). I had COVID a couple of weeks before Christmas and was worried that this could affect a trip abroad I had booked in late January, but fortunately in the meantime my destination dropped the requirement for a PCR test. Sorry to be the bearer of slightly off-putting news, but there is at least a risk of testing positive by PCR for some time after an infection.

Greg66

Thanks. I spoke today to the clinic where we have our pre departure PCRs booked. They too were doubtful that given our presumptive timeline of infection on 8 Mar, negative LFT on 11 and positive PCR ON 13, she would pass a PCR on 21. The test is too sensitive.

Speaking to plague daughter today, she’s been feverish and slept a lot in the last 24h. Although double jabbed plus boosted and young, she is a university student coming to the end of a term and, I would guess, physically a bit run down.

We are going to try to thread this particular needle this way: PCR test* tomorrow (15th); if as expected positive, we will move her outbound flight from 23 to 27 Mar. A positive PCR >10 days before flying should get her into Canada and mean she won’t be in the pool for random testing on entry. Amex Plat insurance have said if she is positive they will cover the rebooking costs.

*getting a PCR test when you know you’re symptomatic and likely positive seems to be quite tricky. Some crossed fingers were needed when ticking boxes to book the test, “justified” on the footing that most of the conditions of testing seem to be held over from when HMG legislated for symptomatic individuals to self isolate.

etiene

The BAH FAQs here, seem to be at best confusing as to whether the BAH BWC policy is the same as the flights one in terms of eligible date: can anyone shed light...?