Impact on travel after positive PCR - how long before you test negative?
Jan 3, 2022, 2:30 pm
#31
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
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Posts: 29,512
Jan 6, 2022, 8:54 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: boston,ma
Programs: JetBlue Mosiac, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 215
Husband fully vaxed and boostered - home recovering from surgery.
12/24 His family comes over christmas eve (against my wishes and I was right!).
12/26 Starts cold symptoms/ bad headache- thinks he has a sinus infection
12/27 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/1 Tests home test positive (very positive!) No more symptoms, feels fine.
1/3 Tests PCR positive
1/4 Tests PCR positive
1/5 Tests home test positive (barely positive)
1/6 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/7 last and final chance to test negative to go to Anguilla....fingers crossed!! (update: failed again. tested positive CVS minute clinic angtigen test.
This sucks!
12/24 His family comes over christmas eve (against my wishes and I was right!).
12/26 Starts cold symptoms/ bad headache- thinks he has a sinus infection
12/27 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/1 Tests home test positive (very positive!) No more symptoms, feels fine.
1/3 Tests PCR positive
1/4 Tests PCR positive
1/5 Tests home test positive (barely positive)
1/6 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/7 last and final chance to test negative to go to Anguilla....fingers crossed!! (update: failed again. tested positive CVS minute clinic angtigen test.
This sucks!
Last edited by dkc71; Jan 7, 2022 at 11:50 am
Jan 7, 2022, 6:22 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 547
Husband fully vaxed and boostered - home recovering from surgery.
12/24 His family comes over christmas eve (against my wishes and I was right!).
12/26 Starts cold symptoms/ bad headache- thinks he has a sinus infection
12/27 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/1 Tests home test positive (very positive!) No more symptoms, feels fine.
1/3 Tests PCR positive
1/4 Tests PCR positive
1/5 Tests home test positive (barely positive)
1/6 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/7 last and final chance to test negative to go to Anguilla....fingers crossed!!
12/24 His family comes over christmas eve (against my wishes and I was right!).
12/26 Starts cold symptoms/ bad headache- thinks he has a sinus infection
12/27 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/1 Tests home test positive (very positive!) No more symptoms, feels fine.
1/3 Tests PCR positive
1/4 Tests PCR positive
1/5 Tests home test positive (barely positive)
1/6 Tests rapid test (CVS minute clinic) positive
1/7 last and final chance to test negative to go to Anguilla....fingers crossed!!
Jan 9, 2022, 6:17 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CGK/LAX
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I have a colleague who tested positive via PCR a day after his symptoms started. He's now at day 15 post symptoms and is still getting positive results on his rapid tests.
Jan 10, 2022, 2:43 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 229
[Day -4]: I suspect this is when I got it, as I attended a not-well-ventilated indoors event, multiple of whose attendees later all tested positive. But of course it's impossible to know for sure!
Day 0: symptoms started as soon as I woke up (mucus-y cough in particular)
Day 1: took an antigen test in the evening, just the barest hint of a positive line
Day 2: took another antigen test in the morning, very clearly positive (line appeared within 2-3 minutes of taking the sample)
Day 5: symptoms had cleared up by this point with the exception of an occasional lingering cough
Day 13: still testing positive (faint line but clearly there) on antigen test
Day 14: even weaker but still visible positive line
Day 16: finally negative (I didn't have an antigen test to spare on day 15, so wasn't able to check what would have happened)
I guess what I'd say is that even for mild cases, I wouldn't assume that you will automatically test negative on antigen tests all that soon. By day 10 or so after my infection I was feeling totally fine, but had I been traveling to somewhere that required negative tests (and didn't allow proof of recovery or prior positive tests) I definitely would have ran into issues.
Jan 10, 2022, 9:10 am
#36
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...travelers.html
you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).
What if I recently recovered from COVID-19?
People who have recovered from COVID-19 can continue to test positive for up to 3 months after their infection. CDC does not recommend retesting within 3 months after a person with COVID-19 first developed symptoms of COVID-19 (or the date their sample was taken for their first positive viral diagnostic test if their infection was asymptomatic).
If you have had a positive viral test on a sample taken during the past 90 days, and you have met the criteria to end isolation, you may travel instead with your positive viral test results and a signed letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.”
A letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that clears you to end isolation, e.g., to return to work or school, can be used to show you are cleared to travel, even if travel isn’t specifically mentioned in the letter. The letter must have information that identifies you personally (e.g., name and date of birth) that matches the personal identifiers on your passport or other travel documents. The letter must be signed and dated on official letterhead that contains the name, address, and phone number of the healthcare provider or public health official who signed the letter.
If you have recovered from COVID-19 but are not able to obtain documentation of recovery that fulfills the requirements, you will need to show a negative COVID-19 viral test result from a sample taken no more than 1 day before your flight to the US departs.
Even if you have recovered from COVID-19, if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 you should isolate, not travel, and consult with a healthcare provider for testing recommendations.
People who have recovered from COVID-19 can continue to test positive for up to 3 months after their infection. CDC does not recommend retesting within 3 months after a person with COVID-19 first developed symptoms of COVID-19 (or the date their sample was taken for their first positive viral diagnostic test if their infection was asymptomatic).
If you have had a positive viral test on a sample taken during the past 90 days, and you have met the criteria to end isolation, you may travel instead with your positive viral test results and a signed letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.”
A letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that clears you to end isolation, e.g., to return to work or school, can be used to show you are cleared to travel, even if travel isn’t specifically mentioned in the letter. The letter must have information that identifies you personally (e.g., name and date of birth) that matches the personal identifiers on your passport or other travel documents. The letter must be signed and dated on official letterhead that contains the name, address, and phone number of the healthcare provider or public health official who signed the letter.
If you have recovered from COVID-19 but are not able to obtain documentation of recovery that fulfills the requirements, you will need to show a negative COVID-19 viral test result from a sample taken no more than 1 day before your flight to the US departs.
Even if you have recovered from COVID-19, if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 you should isolate, not travel, and consult with a healthcare provider for testing recommendations.
Last edited by 84fiero; Jan 10, 2022 at 9:10 am Reason: typo
Jan 12, 2022, 7:26 am
#37
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
i'm surprised that with more people getting covid this isn't an issue for countries which require a negative PCR before arrival - and those that do PCR testing on arrival it must be freaky as you don't know the sensitivity of those PCRs.
Jan 12, 2022, 8:25 am
#38
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
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Posts: 5,678
Yeah, anecdotally I've noticed a lot more posts on other busier forums (Reddit, TA, etc.) from people who are asymptomatic and tested positive on their pre-departure PCR, than I used to see.
Jan 12, 2022, 8:33 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SFO
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Posts: 3,341
What if I test positive?
Persons who test positive for COVID-19 after entry must comply with the self-isolation requirement, even if they belong to one of the groups of people who would otherwise be exempt. Nor are you allowed to break self-isolating if you test positive for COVID-19, even if you have a legitimate purpose to do so. However, you may temporarily break self-isolating to seek necessary treatment in the healthcare system, including in order to be tested. In this context, you should follow current recommendations to reduce the transmission of infection.duce the transmission of infection.
FAQ: Testing and isolation requirements after entry into Denmark
https://en.coronasmitte.dk/travel-ru...n-requirements
Jan 12, 2022, 10:45 am
#40
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
testing positive on predeparture is fine - your travel plans are cancelled. testing positive on arrival - you could be thrown into hospital for 14 days like thailand...
Jan 13, 2022, 12:04 pm
#41
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Indeed. Though I should clarify that this is also people testing pre-departure trying to come home from a foreign country - so still potential isolation issue for them.