What to do if you test positive before flying home?

[Outbound]

ok, what is the contingency plan if testing positive abroad before coming home CONUS???
I admit I have not read all eleven (11) pages of this post, but wonder if something does happen while abroad..

I guess it depends on the traveler's circumstances. If staying with family or friends, it would be pretty straightforward. If not, one possible plan - just off the top of my head - would be to arrange accommodations for a place that allows no-fee cancelations as late as possible, with your potential stay starting on the day you are supposed to depart for the States. US policy is that you need a negative test three days prior to the day of departure, which effectively means four days before the day of departure. The CDC webpage gives the example that a person due to depart on a Friday can take his/her test as early as the Tuesday before. Take the test as early as possible. If you test negative, cancel the hotel reservations. If positive, then you'll be staying a while longer. As for groceries and supplies, I'm not sure.

 

[kelemvor]

Then stop reading it, and unsubscribe.
While I understand your point to a degree, (and fully agree with your vax stance), I would argue that moderation is too frequently employed.
I compare threads to a conversation around the dinner table; the conversation meanders.
As long as people play nice in the sandbox and share toys.......

It's @DeltaWardog 's thread! He asked for help so he can plan his trip.

Vaccination and peoples opinion of it or opinion of politics or whatever else is entirely irrelevant to this thread.

I think the first thing I would do is try and come up with a place to stay for 10 days after you've tested positive. It sounds like hotels generally aren't allowing you to stay for the additional 10 days and sleeping on the street is unappealing.

It might also be worth finding a doctor (before you travel to Cozumel, not while you are there) that will agree to sign off on your return form after you've done your 10 days. Otherwise it seems likely you'll have to travel across Mexico and back into the USA by car. Then you can fly home. I suspect getting a rental in Mexico that you could take to the US would be a problem.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If anyone's interested, someone started a similar thread for Bonaire: What if I/we test positive prior to return to the US?

 

[Jake 10]

I guess it depends on the traveler's circumstances. If staying with family or friends, it would be pretty straightforward. If not, one possible plan - just off the top of my head - would be to arrange accommodations for a place that allows no-fee cancelations as late as possible, with your potential stay starting on the day you are supposed to depart for the States. US policy is that you need a negative test three days prior to the day of departure, which effectively means four days before the day of departure. The CDC webpage gives the example that a person due to depart on a Friday can take his/her test as early as the Tuesday before. Take the test as early as possible. If you test negative, cancel the hotel reservations. If positive, then you'll be staying a while longer. As for groceries and supplies, I'm not sure.

thank you, that is a good start for a contingency plan when not staying with family/friends.

 

[mediumone]

It's @DeltaWardog 's thread!

He is the OP, no more, no less.
No OP retains ownership of any thread.

 

[ggunn]

Instead of people directing their anger at the unvaccinated how about we direct our anger at what started the pandemic...

Maybe it's because now that it is here, whatever started it (about which we have only inconclusive, anecdotal, and circumstantial evidence) isn't nearly as important as doing what we can to fight it?

 

[dflaher]

one possible plan - just off the top of my head - would be to arrange accommodations for a place that allows no-fee cancelations as late as possible, with your potential stay starting on the day you are supposed to depart for the States. US policy is that you need a negative test three days prior to the day of departure, which effectively means four days before the day of departure. The CDC webpage gives the example that a person due to depart on a Friday can take his/her test as early as the Tuesday before. Take the test as early as possible. If you test negative, cancel the hotel reservations. If positive, then you'll be staying a while longer.

Excellent advice.

It might also be worth finding a doctor (before you travel to Cozumel, not while you are there) that will agree to sign off on your return form after you've done your 10 days.

How would one go about doing that? Would a Cozumel doctor agree to sign off on a return without seeing you?

 

[ReefHound]

It's @DeltaWardog 's thread! He asked for help so he can plan his trip.

I think the first thing I would do is try and come up with a place to stay for 10 days after you've tested positive. It sounds like hotels generally aren't allowing you to stay for the additional 10 days and sleeping on the street is unappealing.

Nobody owns a thread.

The first thing I would do after testing positive is arrange to take another test.

 

[ReefHound]

How would one go about doing that? Would a Cozumel doctor agree to sign off on a return without seeing you?

I didn't take it that way. I assumed finding a doctor who would be willing to issue you a letter of recovery after seeing you ten days after positive test. So if you're looking ok after 10 days you get the letter, if you're still death warmed over you don't. As opposed to a doctor with no interest in signing such a letter for any reason, period. This would be especially valuable to someone who is asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. It would suck to be perfectly recovered after a day or two but keep failing tests because of shedding dead viral material.

 

[dflaher]

I didn't take it that way. I assumed finding a doctor who would be willing to issue you a letter of recovery after seeing you ten days after positive test. So if you're looking ok after 10 days you get the letter, if you're still death warmed over you don't. As opposed to a doctor with no interest in signing such a letter for any reason, period. This would be especially valuable to someone who is asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. It would suck to be perfectly recovered after a day or two but keep failing tests because of shedding dead viral material.

Agree and thanks for the clarification. But my question stands...how do I find such a doctor from the States before leaving?