CV and travel

[MondayYogurt]

Since PCR can test positive 90 days after infection, does that mean no flying/holidays for 3 months? If you're totally recovered but test positive during fit to fly, I assume that's it, you're grounded?

I don’t think that’s the case. On the NHS app there’s proof of infection.

It’s with the vaccination records.

I was under the impression that if you travel
within 90 days of testing positive you can by pass a test with the proof on the NHS app?

I'm so confused.

If you have positive PCR and then want to travel there is the chance that the fit to fly will be positive too.

You can't opt out of fit to fly on basis of having positive PCR within 90 days - correct?

So you have to test, and if the test is positive what happens next?

Yes, your assumptions are correct, MondayYogurt. If you test positive on a fit-to-fly PCR, most airlines will not allow you to board a plane, sorry.

It's really annoying when you know that not only are you no longer infectious but you also have antibodies which afford a high degree of protection, but that is the stance most airlines are currently taking.

It depends where you are going and whether you are double vaccinated.
For example double vaccinated people don't have to do fit 2 fly pcr to go to Spain.

Thanks @thing47 I just am struggling to see it written that way anywhere. Just want to know where we stand.

So essentially until you PCR test prior to flying there's no way of knowing, even if the original infection was 3 months ago.

Fantastic!

trumpisagit is absolutely right, of course. My advice is only relevant for countries which require you to take a fit-to-fly PCR test.

I'm not sure if it is written anywhere other than in airlines' own Ts and Cs – so definitely worth checking with the one you are flying with.

You could think about doing a regular PCR test as that will give you a pretty good idea (though not a definitive answer) of the likelihood of testing positive on a fit-to-fly PCR. That way you can plan a bit further ahead than a fit-to-fly test which usually has to be taken only a day or two before you fly, which might be too late to cancel/claim on insurance.

Good advice thank you. Could do PCR a couple weeks before just to check.

@MondayYogurt

Good advice thank you. Could do PCR a couple weeks before just to check.

I hate to say this but apparently if you test positive on any pcr ( ie private or nhs one) yiu have to self isolate again. Was told this by nhs and randox when looking into it for travel after DD tested positive 😳

Well technically that's correct in that Track and Trace will contact you. However, when they do so, you explain that it was a 'false positive' (scientists don't actually like that term because it isn't accurate, but it seems to be in common use so I'll run with it). You might have to ask to speak to a supervisor if the person who initially contacts you doesn't have the necessary knowledge/understanding of the science, but once you speak to a medically trained person, they will tell you it's fine and you don't need to isolate.

We have had this twice in the past 6 weeks with my daughter so have direct recent experience of it.

sleepwouldbenice, you might have to be quite stroppy forceful. And it helps if you are able to explain the science (my daughter fortunately is well qualified to do this).

Interesting!

@thing47

Well technically that's correct in that Track and Trace will contact you. However, when they do so, you explain that it was a 'false positive' (scientists don't actually like that term because it isn't accurate, but it seems to be in common use so I'll run with it). You might have to ask to speak to a supervisor if the person who initially contacts you doesn't have the necessary knowledge/understanding of the science, but once you speak to a medically trained person, they will tell you it's fine and you don't need to isolate.

We have had this twice in the past 6 weeks with my daughter so have direct recent experience of it.

sleepwouldbenice, you might have to be quite stroppy forceful. And it helps if you are able to explain the science (my daughter fortunately is well qualified to do this).

We had a similar problem in that my DD tested positive on a PCR during the ONS study just a few days after coming out of self-isolation after having tested positive! From personal experience I would absolutely NOT recommend relying on anyone from Test and Trace being able to help. In the case of my DD they insisted we self isolate again, even though it was blatantly obvious that it was from a known old infection. We spoke to so many people and nobody had the authority to tell us that we could be exempted.

In the end it only got resolved when we rang the ONS helpline, who advised that legislation had changed for people who tested positive repeatedly in a research study. But for anyone else? Tough luck!

Caveat: this was back in July so maybe rules have changed since.

But it is a real problem. I didn't take my DD abroad until the 90 days were up - didn't want to risk having to self-isolate!

I think the issue is that UK Government advice is not to take another PCR test for 90 days after a positive test so they haven't bothered to make contingency plans for people who might have to do this, ie for travel. The basic Test and Trace follow up therefore doesn't allow for this situation and the initial caller might not understand when you explain it.

The key, as I said above, is to ask to speak to a supervisor or manager as they are able to grasp the science and agree that the usual protocols do not apply. I think the problem in Puff's case is that Test and Trace didn't understand the study element. You just need to keep pushing until you speak to someone who is sufficiently senior to override the 'computer says no' mentality.

Our travel was really important (very close relative's wedding in the country where he now lives) so we pushed hard . I should add we didn't break, or even bend, any rules, we got a senior person at Test and Trace to go on record saying that daughter's test was a false positive and isolation rules did not apply.

I’m looking into this at the moment, I have covid and we are going to Iceland in February, from what I can tell, because I can prove I’ve had covid within 180 days of day of travel I do not have to do a pcr. Not quite sure how simple it will be to do all of this, when I’m a bit better I’ll ring the travel agent.

Thanks for advice all, please update if you find out more

A lot of countries have relaxed their rules now, so it might well be that the country you are travelling to no longer requires a negative PCR. I don't know specifically about Iceland, jenkel but that sounds quite likely to me.

The issue which remains is that some airlines are still requesting fit-to-fly PCRs to get on one of their planes, separately from whatever rules a country might or might not impose. But definitely worth checking, not least because things may well change again between now and February.

Found a long thread on tripadvisor about this topic:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k13632960-o130-Helpwithhpcrtesttfortravellwithin900daysoffcovid-AirTravel.html