HibernateNow

how long after getting positive PCR test do most people become negative again?

for example, a fully vaccinated(triple) US citizen traveling in the EU gets a PCR test a couple of days before the flight, but gets a positive test. no symptoms at all. obviously he/she will wait for the virus to take its course and re-take the test again.

for most adults who are in perfect health with no other conditions, how long does this usually take?

The reason I'm asking is that I just heard about a co-worker who is currently stuck. after 4 and half weeks and two additional tests, his PCR tests both came back positive again. he went to a doctor just to be safe and the doctor said that for some people, it may take "months" before being able to test negative again. Meanwhile, he's stuck there.... how often does this type of situation happen to people?

I myself will be going on a somewhat essential trip. I'm also triple vaccinated as of 2 months ago. I'm trying to weigh the risks of ending up like my co-worker.

Edit: my question is about someone(US citizen) in the EU and attempting to return to the US.

Thanks!

MaxVO

I believe there's an exemption category for people who continuously test positive, but never get sick. The only way to find out is by testing at reasonable intervals, perhaps every couple of days.

the810

Do a research on what policies does your destination have. Many countries (including most in Europe) no longer require a negative test to be released from the quarantine, instead it's a fixed time after a positive test, precisely for this reason. Many countries also accept proof of previous infection (usually 14 days since the positive test) as an alternative to a test requirement.

altomatum

Having had family who have tested positive and then both of them testing negative 3 days later seems to be a decent indicator

HibernateNow

What about someone(US citizen) in the EU and attempting to return to the US?

Thanks!

8420PR

To enter the US you just need an antigen test, NOT necessarily a PCR test - the antigen test will certainly be negative after the symptoms are gone. Also, if you had covid in the last 3 months you don't need a test - you can use your first positive test results and the release from quarantine letter.

divrdrew

That’s highly variable. Depends on viral load and a number of other factors. I tested positive back in November of 2020 and took three months to test negative. Also became a long hauler. Not sure if that had anything to do with the length of time before testing negative

tessy143

Once I tested Negative the same day ... tests are highly inaccuarate.

HibernateNow

at least it's not as bad as shingles. EVERYBODY who had chickenpox as a kid are at risk because the virus never left the human body. it's just hides in the body doing nothing for 10, 30, even 60 years, waiting for the body's immune system to drop its guard or something else happens.... until shingles flares up. (which is why shingles vaccine is very important) I'm no scientist, but I think coronavirus dies out eventually, assuming the person is healthy and survive the ordeal....

Travelinangel

Your coworker should try getting an antigen test instead of PCR. You can re-enter the US on an antigen test and it is less likely to show positive once they have recovered. It's worth a shot. Alternatively, proof of positive test and a recovery letter from a doctor are also accepted for entry into the US--no neg test required.

thatmikereed

80% sensitive, 98% specific. I wouldn't call them inaccurate. Your negative was more likely a false negative.

https://www.cap.org/member-resources...%20specificity.

nrr

(1)rapid antigen tests are generally cheaper than PCR tests but may be more prone to false positives.
(2) there are "self test kits", supervised and non-superfised (probably cheaper); for "dry run" purposes using two different batches of non-supervised kits, if both give postive results, they're probably not both false positives.

gnaget

1) is not correct re false positives. The Binax test claims nearly 100% specificity (which is true negative vs. false positive) but in asymptomatic cases only 70% sensitivity, which measures true positive vs. false negative.The issue is that the "gold standard" is PCR, which at 40 cycles will deem someone without symptoms to be positive even though chances of transmission are miniscule. This is why extreme covid-cultist governments demand PCR tests.

So, always do antigen if you can.

alangore

I know a number of people, fully vaccinated, who suddenly start testing positive on PCR tests for a week or two. Then they go back to being negative, with no symptoms at all. My mom, age 99, was one of them. The tests seem to be measuring exposure, not infection.

LoneGroover

I was in this situation wanting to travel to Antigua about 6 weeks after having covid. Antigua at the time required a negative PCR with no exceptions. After a lot of googling the best info I could find was that you could test positive for up to 90 days, and the average was about 30 days. Luckily for me I tested negative, but it was a stressful wait to find out.