What to do if you test positive before flying home?

[Outbound]

You are correct. Nothing you can SAY will convince me and clearly you cannot provide the data and numbers that I requested.

So far, it seems that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 had a 2.34 times greater chance of reinfection compared to those who were fully vaccinated. Reduced Risk of Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 After COVID-19...

You could always just google this information yourself if you were truly interested in being well informed before making your vaccination decision.

 

[cozcharlie]

Well, I have to wonder if you cut out the prior infections, what the stats look like. Vax vs unvaxxed no prior infection. AND prior infection and vaxxed. Thats seems to be a new super thing.

And this is a fine example. Its maybe 'only' 90 or 95% effective, not that 99%.

If I could go to the track and 'only' win 95% of the time right?

For me winning 90 or 99 percent of the time is the same fantastic.

I think you missed my point. There is a massive amount of data that clearly says you should get the vaccine--I am not wasting my energy trying to beat what should be a dead horse.

However, I need/want non-skewed data to understand my risks today as a vaccinated person in light of a highly transmissible variant. It matters both to me as vaccinated person and for people I am occasionally around who aren't eligible for the vaccine and/or have compromised immune systems. I was pretty comfortable about the risks up until the delta variant, not nearly as comfortable now.

 

[Joneill]

I get what you are saying, but the SARS-CoV-2 virus isn't going anywhere. It will be an endemic disease in the human population. Eventually it will attenuate to one of several respiratory diseases that occasionally flares up into epidemics but mostly impacts the elderly and those with compromised immune systems or underlying medical conditions, much like influenza does. Are we still going to require testing for it for travelers?

I understand that we aren't at that point yet. But we could be much closer, at least in the US, if more people got vaccinated. That's the frustration I and many others are feeling. If we had much higher level of vaccination in this country, we likely would not require returning travelers to test negative.

I don’t disagree and was first in line to get a vaccine as soon as I qualified. However, I don’t think it would be wise to drop testing requirements for vaccinated international travelers at this time.

I just traveled a few weeks ago and the testing was a non-issue, so not sure why some folks consider it to be a big issue or impediment to travel?

 

[greeniguana]

I just traveled a few weeks ago and the testing was a non-issue, so not sure why some folks consider it to be a big issue or impediment to travel?

You really don't understand how the potential for getting stuck somewhere for 2 weeks could be problematic for someone?

Or maybe this is sarcasm?

 

[cvchief]

Why don't we know the pct of breakthrough infections for those recovered? What pct of new hospitalizations are those who previously recovered? The data set is there.

I have to say your bias is showing. I know a bunch of people whose docs told them, yea that's covid, just stay home. NOT in your data set.

I know a bunch of people who are like I have covid way back in November 2019. Besides like being wrong, they wouldn't be in the data set.

I don't believe there is a clear identification of prior infections. There is emerging data that maybe just one vax after a decent infection REALLY protects you. Like gold standard maybe.

However, I think the time is quickly passing on 'experimental vaccine' yada yada. It pretty clear they are safe. And the should be getting regular approval soon.

Also interesting that people on the mainland rushed the vax site in Cozumel to get Pfizer instead of the AstraZeneca the give out in Playa (You know the 'old' style vaccine you prefer.) That tells you the success stories of mRNA.

And I would doubt that would change your mind? Or will it?

It is interesting to me that the people that used to be do the right thing, support our society structure, follow social norms are now becoming the counter culture revolutionaries.

And the old counter culture people are becoming the followers of social norms.

 

[kelemvor]

Wow.. maybe a mod could split the discussion of infection rates and blatantly political stuff off into a pub thread? None of that contributes to coming up with a plan, or ideas for one, or some kind of return plan template.

Having some sort of plan is a great idea. Personally I'd consider it critical to international travel until the testing requirements on the way home are eliminated.

Excerpt from an article posted above:

went to Cabo San Lucas and tested positive. She was asymptomatic and took two more tests to be sure the initial result was correct. The family was told to stop testing and wait for 14 days, when they would be eligible to get a doctor's note to fly home if they had no COVID-19 symptoms.

"But they couldn't get a doctor in Mexico to sign off on that,'' Massie said.

The family ended up flying to Tijuana, Mexico, walking across the border to San Diego and flying back to Kentucky from there

Mexico travel: COVID-positive tourists stranded under CDC testing rule

Maybe chartering a private boat would be another option to get back home.

Hopefully you wouldn't have to resort to digging a hole under the border fence or something like that.

Also, the article doesn't really share what to do during the two week wait. Are hotels plentiful enough that you could get a room with no notice? Would the hotel even be willing to let you stay there with covid? Are you going to have to sleep on a bench out by the ferry terminal at night?

It sounds to me like something that's likely to be shockingly expensive, and there's no clear "right" way to do things once you get that positive result.

All things that should be thought of and planned for... in my opinion.

 

[jonhall]

So if you test positive, you do not need a followup negative test, just a doctor to give you such a letter.

From the article I posted (#20) this was a problem for a couple in MX (I think Cabo without going back to reread) as the doctor would not sign a letter after their quarantine period.

I was pretty comfortable about the risks up until the delta variant, not nearly as comfortable now.

I was more comfortable with the risks until breakthrough cases started being reported!!

so not sure why some folks consider it to be a big issue or impediment to travel?

The impediment would be (to get back to what the OP was asking about) "what if" one winds up with a positive test before flying home - what are people doing if they all of a sudden are required to stay in MX for an extended period of time that wasn't planned for? For all who have been to Cozumel during the pandemic and those going in the near future, it boils down to, is it a risk one wants to take - if so what can one do to be better prepared?

 

[ggunn]

From the article I posted (#20) this was a problem for a couple in MX (I think Cabo without going back to reread) as the doctor would not sign a letter after their quarantine period.



I was more comfortable with the risks until breakthrough cases started being reported!!



The impediment would be (to get back to what the OP was asking about) "what if" one winds up with a positive test before flying home - what are people doing if they all of a sudden are required to stay in MX for an extended period of time that wasn't planned for? For all who have been to Cozumel during the pandemic, it boils down to, is it a risk one wants to take?

One way to hedge your bets might be to get tested before the trip.

 

[kelemvor]

One way to hedge your bets might be to get tested before the trip.

That's definitely a good idea. You'll still need a bug-out/get home plan in case you contract it there.

 

[Outbound]

One way to hedge your bets might be to get tested before the trip.

This is true. It's not foolproof, of course, because it's possible to contract COVID while there. But I'd be curious to compare this issue from a destination like Bonaire, which requires a negative PCR test 48 hours before departure for the island, with Cozumel, which does not.