vivid291

Hello all,

To cut a very long and stressful story short, I returned to the U.K. this summer for a long-awaited family visit and unfortunately contracted Covid, on the day I was set to travel home to the U.S. no less! As I'm now nearing the end of my 10 day quarantine, I am needing to obtain documentation of recovery from Covid in order to try and fly home next week and I'm just absolutely puzzled as to how to go about getting that. Has anyone had experience with obtaining one of these letters/could anyone recommend a provider either in the U.K. or U.S. that offers this service in order to travel back to the U.S.?
Many thanks in advance!

excpomea

Surly just a Drs letter.

Rete

I would think a negative test for COVID although from hubby's experience he still tested positive for COVID 3 months after contracting it.

TimFountain

Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States | CDC

bullettoothtony

Has anyone who has completed a return journey got an experience they can relay about this.

We are in the same position. I finish the 10 day isolation after a positive test on Friday so we're going to visit a private clinic on Saturday and Hopefully fly (BA) on Sunday. As I understand it we need a copy of the positive test coupled with a proof of recovery letter from a Dr stating we are ok to fly. The only experiences i can see are on Twitter and they are all (predictably) negative; not being allowed to board etc.

destone

Out of curiosity, did you end up doing the PCR test?

bullettoothtony

We did but it came back as void....both of them and another that my friend took. All were sent from NHS test and trace. We therefore missed the two day window (following positive antigen) where a negative pcr would have allowed us out of isolation. We didn't follow up and do another PCR as it would have reset the 10 day isolation clock if it was positive.

destone

I suspect that if you receive a negative PCR test result you'll be good to fly without a doctors' note of recovery. This is because the non-PCR test you took may have given a false-positive.

bullettoothtony

I agree, but only if the PCR test was taken 2 days after the positive antigen test (we tried but the test was void) or 14 days after the antigen test. The 14 day period is a technicality because the airlines we are flying with get you to attest that if you present a negative test result in ordercto fly that you haven't tested positive in the last 14 days.

destone

I'd imagine that if you show the PCR void test result and then a subsequent negative PCR test result (taken anytime after the void test result), you're good to go. No one will check on this. A doctor's note may create more headache for you. All that assuming, of course, that the subsequent PCR test is negative indeed (if it comes back positive, you'd still need the doctor's note for proof of recovery).

bullettoothtony

I don't think thats right. In addition to submitting a negative test result you have to attest that you have not recieved a positive test within 14 days of travel. An early PCR negative following Antigen positive would allow isolation to end but you would still be required to obtain a letter as proof of recovery if you wanted to travel within 10 days of the first positive result. I have checked multiple private clinics and none will provide proof of recovery until you are legally (UK) allowed to end self isolation. Furthermore, as per CDC guidelines, it is not recommended to get a viral test (antigen or PCR, for example) within 3 months of the first ( unless symptomatic for a second time, or trying to rule out false positive). You can still show positive (if it was a true positive) for around 3 months after the first test even if you are not contagious anymore.

Time will tell if what we are doing will work. As best i can tell it is the required course of action as per CDC, uk.gov and both American Airline and British Airways guidance (they both direct you to a website called Sherpa). Fingers crossed.

destone

My immediate thought is that the antigen test may have provided you with a false positive. It's unfortunate that the subsequent PCR came back as invalid as a negative PCR result may have saved you from this headache. If immediate travel is important to you, a negative PCR test is gold-standard for travel. You can also do an antibody test (just for yourself, not the airline) to see if you were recently infected. Out of curiosity, are you fully vaccinated, and if so, with which vaccine?

tht

Surely they ask you health questions at the airport? So short of lying and putting peoples health at risk I am not sure what this means, if you test again, and you may be infected you still can’t travel even if the test the airline requested was negative.

destone

If the sequence of events is as follows then I don't think anyone would be put at risk:

1. OP is fully vaccinated (i.e. two weeks have passed since the final dose)
2. Antigen test: positive (could have been false-positive)
3. PCR test: void
4. PCR test: negative
5. Antibody test: negative

If step 1., step 4. and/or step 5. is not the case then I agree that infection risk may exist.

bullettoothtony

Fully vaccinated with Pfizer.

A PCR may be gold standard but if I was genuinely infected (positive) the CDC doesn't recommend getting another viral test as it will likely read positive up to 3 months past the original infection and despite recovery. To say whether or not the first antigen test was a false positive would be guess work on my part.

The only legitimate path seems to me to be visiting a Dr so I can be cleared for travel. Im not sure how many cases the airlines have seen like this but it can't be zero. Hopefully I have interpreted correctly and have an employee who is under the same understanding at check in.