Coming into the country 2 day pcr test after having covid previously

[jenkel]

We have booked to go away February, some way off I know and goodness knows what will change by then.

I have just got over covid and had a panic about going away and doing pcr tests, the country we are going will accept (but could change) a notification of previous infection and recovery in lieu of a pcr.

But how do I do a 2 day returning pcr test to get back in the country. Seeing as the nhs tells you not to do a pcr test within 90 days of an infection as it could still show you positive.

My dd is in her last year of school, we are away for a long weekend during half term, she has her a levels a few months later, as it stands at the moment I presume there is a good chance that I would test positive but from a previous infection and that would wipe her out from school for 10 days, not something that I really want to do.

Can’t really test the system as if I do a pcr and it’s positive (good chance) I’ve just got to automatically self isolate for 10 days.

Appreciate that I could be worrying unnecessarily as a way off and lots can change, hopefully improve.

You have to buy the test because otherwise you can’t complete the PLF. 1 the advice may have changed by then and it might be back to antigen 2. Maybe your test won’t arrive or will get lost on the way back. I neve got the results of one of the ones I took. It’s administrative more than anything.

At that point under current rules you'd be isolating for 14 days though @serenschinette!

Sorry, @serenschintte

We've got the same deal after xmas. Have decided that we're going to do it (covid positive test only 55 days earlier), and ignore the isolation notification if we test positive.

Keep doing lateral flows you'll get a good idea.
My husband and daughter had Covid in aug and had to have negative PCR for holiday abroad entry in oct. They were clear within 3 weeks and did an NHS a PCR to check.

Can you get a certificate of recovery alongside ordering the PCR? Therefore if you test positive on the PCR you could try and use the cert as justification to offset the need to isolate?

It’s a pain tho, I agree.

I’m due to travel at Xmas and I’m most worried about a sudden addition to the red list and being forced to hotel quarantine

No, because no one follows it up.
I don’t live in the Uk - but that was my experience in one of my trips over. No one follows up. It’s purely a box ticking exercise

We're in the same situation OP, we have it now and going away in January. Someone told me that your NHS covid pass for travel is updated to say you've had it recently so you don't need the PCR but I'm not sure how true that is yet as can't find anything online!

@4yroldhelp

We're in the same situation OP, we have it now and going away in January. Someone told me that your NHS covid pass for travel is updated to say you've had it recently so you don't need the PCR but I'm not sure how true that is yet as can't find anything online!

Your covid pass does update after your 10 days isolation, we now have 3 barcodes, 1 for each jab, we are double jabbed and 1 for covid recovery, but like you, I can’t find anything to stay that this will be acceptable when coming back into the Uk to replace a pcr test, it is acceptable to use the covid recovery pass to get into the country we are going.

@Serenschintte

No, because no one follows it up. I don’t live in the Uk - but that was my experience in one of my trips over. No one follows up. It’s purely a box ticking exercise

Were you meant to isolate before? I travelled in the summer as a fully vaccinated person so day 2 felt box ticking but no isolation was ever expected.