Covid surging in Bonaire

[divezonescuba]

What you may not know is that Bonaire is perfectly happy with the ID NOW NAAT test. They accept it for entry, and they use it locally. They (and others) use "PCR" when what they really mean is NAAT. Having just returned from Bonaire and taken the "day 5 PCR test" I am quite certain it was a NAAT test, probably ID NOW, because the results were known within about 15 minutes, they told me. It could not have been the kind of PCR test you are referring to.

My point was that the Bonaire government is specifying a 5 day PCR test. The testing facilities are using what appears to be the Abbott IDNOW test from the large amount of IDNow debris that I observed at the testing station. As you mentioned, the person who tested positive received the results in a short time, 24 minutes, which further supports the probability that it was an IDNOW test. As previously discussed the IDNOW test is not a PCR test, but a NAAT test, but a PCR test is a type of NAAT test.

There are a lot of people who have cancelled or unnecessarily missed their trips to Bonaire due to the way that PCR and NAAT are being used semi-interchangeably depending on who you are talking to. I sent a total of 3 email messages to the authorities about this specific issue and did not receive one reply back. We ended up taking both an IDNOW and a PCR test to help ensure we did not have a problem. One person in our group took two PCR tests and did not receive one of the results back for four days. They could just have easily taken an Abbott IDNOW test with confidence if the authorities clearly specified that is was ok.

Our plane had a load factor of 0.3 which from talking to other passengers, we know was partially a result of these issues.

 

[tursiops]

My point was that the Bonaire government is specifying a 5 day PCR test. The testing facilities are using what appears to be the Abbott IDNOW test from the large amount of IDNow debris that I observed at the testing station. As with you, the person who tested positive received the results in a short time, 24 minutes, which further supports the probability that it was an IDNOW test.

There are a lot of people who have cancelled or unnecessarily missed their trips to Bonaire due to the way that PCR and NAAT are being used semi-interchangeably depending on who you are talking to. I sent a total of 3 email messages to the authorities about this specific issue and did not receive one reply back. We ended up taking both an IDNOW and a PCR test to help ensure we did not have a problem. One person in our group took two PCR tests and did not receive one of the results back for four days. They could just have easily taken an Abbott IDNOW test with confidence if the authorities clearly specified that is was ok.

Our plane had a load factor of 0.3 which from talking to other passengers, we know was partially a result of these issues.

It has been well-known and well-documented that Bonarie accepts the ID-NOW test. United has been recalcitrant on accepting anything but PCR, but Delta and American have been doing fine.

By the way, people who cancel because of what they read on social media are just asking to get confused. Better to go to the actual source information, for example the entry chart from BonaireCrisis.com, which did state for awhile PCR but now also states NAAT. As to the Day 5 test, why do you even care what it is? You take it as required, get no results back because you are negative, and move on. Or, you show positive and get quarantined; do you have a problem with that?

 

[divezonescuba]

It has been well-known and well-documented that Bonarie accepts the ID-NOW test. United has been recalcitrant on accepting anything but PCR, but Delta and American have been doing fine.

By the way, people who cancel because of what they read on social media are just asking to get confused. Better to go to the actual source information, for example the entry chart from BonaireCrisis.com, which did state for awhile PCR but now also states NAAT. As to the Day 5 test, why do you even care what it is? You take it as required, get no results back because you are negative, and move on. Or, you show positive and get quarantined; do you have a problem with that?

You may not have a problem, but others do.

Many people in our group had a problem with this. It got to the point that it became a joke about not knowing if a person was positive with delayed results or negative.

People can standby and be informed immediately on test completion so that they do not need to be concerned with possibly contaminating others until they receive their results.

Why do you need results feedback? The person entering the telephone number could have made a mistake or the person reading the telephone could have misread the number. If you do not get results, you don’t know if the test had some sort of problem or was actually even performed yet. If you were ultimately positive, you would be contaminating other people in the meantime.

Not a single other PCR, antigen, or IDNow test that I have taken in the last two years did not provide an notification that I was either positive or negative.

So, actually, I do have a problem with not being notified of the negative results.

 

[arubabob1]

I was just asking if anyone has went thru this. Seems like once you have covid, you would continue to test poss for awhile. I was looking for someone to say: I had covid. I quarenteened. In 5 days, I tested neg!! Thats all I am asking. You sound annoyed so you don't have to respond anymore back to me. I will wait for someone who has been thru this. Have a great day.

 

[scubadada]

When Bonaire had the 5 day required antigen test, through the Public Health Dept., they only notified positives, it was not a problem. We were there 2 weeks

The NAAT test, Abbott ID Now and traditional PCR can be used interchangeably. The former is available much sooner. I can't figure out what the problem is.

 

[uncfnp]

I was just asking if anyone has went thru this. Seems like once you have covid, you would continue to test poss for awhile. I was looking for someone to say: I had covid. I quarenteened. In 5 days, I tested neg!! Thats all I am asking. You sound annoyed so you don't have to respond anymore back to me. I will wait for someone who has been thru this. Have a great day.

Yes. You can continue to test positive days to weeks after a positive covid test. This is why the US does not require retesting. The antigen test is less sensitive so it is the test most likely to turn negative first.

From experience in my office. We have had people test positive for covid on the PCR for weeks after their symptoms resolved. For the antigen, with the new US isolation requirements, we have had several return in 5 days to be retested because their work required it. The majority have continued to tested positive on the antigen retest at day five.

Some time back I read the statistics on retesting. I don’t recall the specifics but I do remember that day 7 and later the odds are in your favor, especially with the antigen test.

Does this help?

 

[tursiops]

You may not have a problem, but others do.

Many people in our group had a problem with this. It got to the point that it became a joke about not knowing if a person was positive with delayed results or negative.

People can standby and be informed immediately on test completion so that they do not need to be concerned with possibly contaminating others until they receive their results.

Why do you need results feedback? The person entering the telephone number could have made a mistake or the person reading the telephone could have misread the number. If you do not get results, you don’t know if the test had some sort of problem or was actually even performed yet. If you were ultimately positive, you would be contaminating other people in the meantime.

Not a single other PCR, antigen, or IDNow test that I have taken in the last two years did not provide an notification that I was either positive or negative.

So, actually, I do have a problem with not being notified of the negative results.

The issue is not getting feedback. We agree it would be nice to get the feedback. The question was about getting the positive notification from the Day 5 test, and then being quarantined. is that a problem for you?

 

[arubabob1]

Yes. You can continue to test positive days to weeks after a positive covid test. This is why the US does not require retesting. The antigen test is less sensitive so it is the test most likely to turn negative first.

From experience in my office. We have had people test positive for covid on the PCR for weeks after their symptoms resolved. For the antigen, with the new US isolation requirements, we have had several return in 5 days to be retested because their work required it. The majority have continued to tested positive on the antigen retest at day five.

Some time back I read the statistics on retesting. I don’t recall the specifics but I do remember that day 7 and later the odds are in your favor, especially with the antigen test.

Does this help?

Yes! That really helps! I appreciate you answering my question and not quizzing me!!!

 

[homerdoc]

My point was that the Bonaire government is specifying a 5 day PCR test. The testing facilities are using what appears to be the Abbott IDNOW test from the large amount of IDNow debris that I observed at the testing station. As you mentioned, the person who tested positive received the results in a short time, 24 minutes, which further supports the probability that it was an IDNOW test. As previously discussed the IDNOW test is not a PCR test, but a NAAT test, but a PCR test is a type of NAAT test.

There are a lot of people who have cancelled or unnecessarily missed their trips to Bonaire due to the way that PCR and NAAT are being used semi-interchangeably depending on who you are talking to. I sent a total of 3 email messages to the authorities about this specific issue and did not receive one reply back. We ended up taking both an IDNOW and a PCR test to help ensure we did not have a problem. One person in our group took two PCR tests and did not receive one of the results back for four days. They could just have easily taken an Abbott IDNOW test with confidence if the authorities clearly specified that is was ok.

Our plane had a load factor of 0.3 which from talking to other passengers, we know was partially a result of these issues.

what does load factor of 0.3 mean....sorry for the ignorance

 

[tursiops]

what does load factor of 0.3 mean....sorry for the ignorance

I don't think he meant "load factor," which is a technical term related to aircraft aerodynamics. I suspect he was trying to say the plane was 30% full.