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Recovery from Covid Letter/Certificate [merged thread]

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Recovery from Covid Letter/Certificate [merged thread]

 
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 12:18 pm
  #121  
 
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Originally Posted by susiesan
I am going in for an annual physical next month and I am going to tell my doctor I had covid and ask her for a covid recovery letter. I will be taking a cruise in Europe in August and will be flying home from Amsterdam. If I have this letter then I don't have to spend my last day of vacation trying to get a covid test on a Sunday when pharmacies in AMS may be closed.
I fully support you doing whatever you have to do to avoid the distress I have felt since yesterday about this stupid letter. I feel so helpless and this is something I am unaccustomed to feeling so I don’t know how to process it.

Meanwhile, we have decided to stay in Ireland until the 9th. I have to call Aer lingus and move tickets again.

jphripjah thank you. 🍀
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 12:25 pm
  #122  
 
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Originally Posted by susiesan
I am going in for an annual physical next month and I am going to tell my doctor I had covid and ask her for a covid recovery letter. I will be taking a cruise in Europe in August and will be flying home from Amsterdam. If I have this letter then I don't have to spend my last day of vacation trying to get a covid test on a Sunday when pharmacies in AMS may be closed.
Officially, the recovery letter must be accompanied by a positive lab test <90 days before travel for entry into US.
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 12:39 pm
  #123  
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Originally Posted by susiesan
I am going in for an annual physical next month and I am going to tell my doctor I had covid and ask her for a covid recovery letter. I will be taking a cruise in Europe in August and will be flying home from Amsterdam. If I have this letter then I don't have to spend my last day of vacation trying to get a covid test on a Sunday when pharmacies in AMS may be closed.
You can't officially get a COVID recovery letter without having had COVID, evidenced by a positive COVID test.

Why not just bring a telemed test with you? Easiest and cheapest way to test, no need to find a local pharmacy.
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 12:49 pm
  #124  
 
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I wrote such a letter for a patient a couple months ago - on clinic letterhead with address and phone number, full name, date of birth, statement that she was healthy and fully recovered, and included a copy of the lab positive Covid test result. Since she was in the office in person I hand signed it, though it also bore an electronic signature.
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 12:52 pm
  #125  
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The lab test must be PCR, right, and not a proctored home antigen test?
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 12:59 pm
  #126  
 
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Originally Posted by JMontpelier
Officially, the recovery letter must be accompanied by a positive lab test <90 days before travel for entry into US.
Oh, yes, this is true. You have to upload or show the positive test AND the letter of recovery.

onlyairfare thank you 🍀

MSPeconomist the test can be PCR, antigen done at a lab or collection facility or proctored.

Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jun 6, 2022 at 11:06 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same member
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 1:22 pm
  #127  
 
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Originally Posted by Smiley90
You can't officially get a COVID recovery letter without having had COVID, evidenced by a positive COVID test.

Why not just bring a telemed test with you? Easiest and cheapest way to test, no need to find a local pharmacy.

I do plan to bring telemedicine tests but I may not have access to a good internet connection. I'm staying at an AirBnB in Amsterdam and don't know how good the wifi will be to do one of the telemedicine tests.

When I go to the doctor for my check up I will ask for a covid test and maybe I'll get lucky and it will be positive. This scenario of using the covid recovery test letter seems a lot easier than actually taking a covid test one day before flying and coming up positive, then having to stay 10 extra days. With a letter in hand you don't even need to test the day before the flight.
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 1:46 pm
  #128  
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Originally Posted by susiesan
I do plan to bring telemedicine tests but I may not have access to a good internet connection. I'm staying at an AirBnB in Amsterdam and don't know how good the wifi will be to do one of the telemedicine tests.

When I go to the doctor for my check up I will ask for a covid test and maybe I'll get lucky and it will be positive. This scenario of using the covid recovery test letter seems a lot easier than actually taking a covid test one day before flying and coming up positive, then having to stay 10 extra days. With a letter in hand you don't even need to test the day before the flight.
"Easier" but it does involve getting COVID. That might not be easier and I'd not "hope" for that. With a letter in hand you don't need to test - because you already had COVID. It's not just a test for the sake of a test, either you don't have COVID (negative test) and aren't contagious or you've already had COVID (recovery) and aren't contagious. At least that's the idea. You can't just get a recovery certificate instead of a test because it's "easier".
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 2:05 pm
  #129  
 
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Originally Posted by JMontpelier
Officially, the recovery letter must be accompanied by a positive lab test <90 days before travel for entry into US.
This is exactly why I went and got a PCR test immediately after my positive home rapid test. Heavily recommend that anyone going this route get a PCR or proctored antigen test as soon as you confirm you are positive, so you can properly document your infection.
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 2:53 pm
  #130  
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Originally Posted by whitewave
Does anyone have a sample letter of recovery I can see? My husband is working on this, but since we live in BFE no one knows what to put in one. I know name, date of birth and recovered from Covid and fit to fly, Anything else?


Trying to figure out this stupid letter of recovery has been the most stressful part of this entire ordeal.
Here's the one I used with no problems: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33021002-post717.html
DCJoe1 likes this.
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 2:56 pm
  #131  
 
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chrisny2 thank you thank you thank you 🍀
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Old Jun 4, 2022, 4:07 pm
  #132  
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Originally Posted by DCJoe1
This is exactly why I went and got a PCR test immediately after my positive home rapid test. Heavily recommend that anyone going this route get a PCR or proctored antigen test as soon as you confirm you are positive, so you can properly document your infection.
+1, I made sure I did this when I had COVID in April before planned international travel in May and June.

Some countries, like Canada, specifically require a molecular test and not an antigen test to use as proof of past infection. While Canada doesn't require a pre-departure test anymore, a past positive test exempts you from the arrival test, if you are selected for it. Whether the exemption is properly recorded or not is an open question.
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Old Jun 5, 2022, 2:40 am
  #133  
 
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Originally Posted by zmb
+1, I made sure I did this when I had COVID in April before planned international travel in May and June.

Some countries, like Canada, specifically require a molecular test and not an antigen test to use as proof of past infection. While Canada doesn't require a pre-departure test anymore, a past positive test exempts you from the arrival test, if you are selected for it. Whether the exemption is properly recorded or not is an open question.
I would highly recommend this. The recovery certificate is good for 90 days, so if you have had Covid recently, definitely get your recovery certificate and travel with that; your life will be so much easier.

Last edited by whitewave; Jun 5, 2022 at 1:59 pm
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Old Jun 5, 2022, 12:50 pm
  #134  
 
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Originally Posted by Smiley90
"Easier" but it does involve getting COVID. That might not be easier and I'd not "hope" for that. With a letter in hand you don't need to test - because you already had COVID. It's not just a test for the sake of a test, either you don't have COVID (negative test) and aren't contagious or you've already had COVID (recovery) and aren't contagious. At least that's the idea. You can't just get a recovery certificate instead of a test because it's "easier".
I am OK with getting covid, I may have already had it and didn't even know. With all the jabs I've had I likely would not actually be sick.
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Old Jun 6, 2022, 7:45 pm
  #135  
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Originally Posted by jphripjah
I'd include passport number if possible. And make sure that "name" includes the full name in passport, i.e. with middle name.
I wouldn't recommend passport number being included if I could help it. If the passport gets stolen, goes missing or becomes unavailable for use, the person with the recovery letter may be better off with a recovery certificate that notes the full name and birthdate for the biodata but let the rest be about the medical situation and fitness to travel.
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