Port testing changing to antigen-3/26

[mmouse37]

Sailing out of Miami mid-April... (next month)
The minute someone finds out if this location is changing to Antigen tests, please post!!
Thanks!

Me too....well 2nd week in April

MJ

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

I think this is likely. I'm part of a study that tests antibody levels (University of Texas, Texas CARES Study). I had a blood draw after my second dose, one after my booster and then three months after that. It tells me how many vaccine antibodies and natural antibodies I have. I test with a rapid test 1-2 times a week for my job (medical facility) and have never tested positive. I had my latest blood draw Monday and yesterday I learned I have antibodies from a natural infection. I've never tested positive. I had no idea I had Covid. I'm stunned. I'm going to go ahead and get a PCR test today to see if I'm still testing positive. My cruise isn't until June but if we were sailing soon and I was testing positive. Yikes!

3 in my family tested positive via PCR last week. 6 negative home antigen tests. All had some symptoms, one more moderate illness. Antigen tests just aren’t picking this up.

 

[mousefan73]

3 in my family tested positive via PCR last week. 6 negative home antigen tests. All had some symptoms, one more moderate illness. Antigen tests just aren’t picking this up.

They are by us. Here in Germany our numbers are so how because everyone with a heartbeat gets tested. My kids 3x a week in school and no end in sight. Employers with large groups ( factories etc) screening regardless of vaxx status. In my kids schools these antigen tests are picking up asymptomatic cases. My DD BF had Covid in Dec. is boosted abs tested positive again 3 weeks ago. Zero symptoms.

 

[ironz]

Oh how interesting. Glad they are doing studies so we learn more about Covid. Curious what the PCR says

I'm in the same study, and even with high vaccine antibody levels on all 3 blood draws, I still got symptomatic Covid (presumably Omicron) positive on home test and confirmed with PCR. But, my booster was earlier than @anricat Hopefully, the researchers will learn more about what is protective vs not. Thankfully, I did not get seriously ill, nor did a close family member who had it. And I was able to use the 90 day exemption for our cruise 4 weeks later.

That said, I also think that a lot of the 'surprise' positive PCR tests at port were from people who got this sneaky variant and didn't have symptoms.

I do maintain that for the crew, I still am in favor of testing passengers (and crew). They are sort of stuck with us, so we can do our best to keep them in a good spot.

 

[dreynolds1982]

That said, I also think that a lot of the 'surprise' positive PCR tests at port were from people who got this sneaky variant and didn't have symptoms.

Yeah I think there is certainly something to that, or they had very mild symptoms that they chalked up to allergies. I know that when my wife got covid back in January (which was presumably the Omicron variant) she had very mild symptoms and only got tested because of the nature of her job (she's a personal trainer). And same with my dad and also a good friend. They both had very very mild symptoms and both said had they not known about covid they would have just chalked it up to allergies, but got tested out of abundance of caution. Omicron is a sneaky one for sure.

That's why I've been so obsessively testing myself leading up to our Monday cruise (that and my health anxiety ha). I don't want any surprises. I've been using all types of tests (PCR-lab, saliva, rapid NAAT, rapid antigen, at-home). Even have one final Walgreens one tomorrow before we leave town. Now with the presumed switch to antigen, I can do an at-home rapid before we leave our hotel for the port. If that's negative, then I feel much better about the port test.

After this cruise is over I don't want to see another covid test ever again haha.

 

[soniam]

I was wondering if they were able to tell the difference between vax vs natural antibodies. I have never tested and never felt I had it. It would be interesting, just out of curiosity, to know if I had caught it. I am vaxed/boosted but constantly have allergies all year round to various degrees, which is very common where I live. Music and allergy capital of the world

 

[LWatson80]

I’ll do a rapid test in hotel in the morning just to put my mind at ease

I plan to do the same!

 

[mmouse37]

My husband had covid in January with no symptoms at all. Only reason he got tested was we were with our son's family for Christmas and our son had to get tested for his job as one of his co workers was positive. Sure enough my husband tested positive on a rapid and a PCR and I didn't.

MJ

 

[CindyLouB]

I plan to do the same!

Ditto. Several times for the 6 days we’ll be in CA before we get on the boat.

 

[DMMarla07860]

I was wondering if they were able to tell the difference between vax vs natural antibodies. I have never tested and never felt I had it. It would be interesting, just out of curiosity, to know if I had caught it. I am vaxed/boosted but constantly have allergies all year round to various degrees, which is very common where I live. Music and allergy capital of the world

This is a fantastic question I assume with with Lupus I would notice if I was sick, Haven't felt bad since Covid started minus time of month

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Nope still a deal breaker for us, I am not about to pack up 3 kids and all that stuff to drive to port and possibly test positive and have upset kids after they see the ship and all.

Why not just test your whole family before you leave for peace of mind? Appts are easy to get at CVS and it's free.
There is no reason to wait until the ship is in sight to find out.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I was wondering if they were able to tell the difference between vax vs natural antibodies. I have never tested and never felt I had it. It would be interesting, just out of curiosity, to know if I had caught it. I am vaxed/boosted but constantly have allergies all year round to various degrees, which is very common where I live. Music and allergy capital of the world

Yes, they can. Immunity from vaccine only shows antibodies for the spike protein, but not for the nucleus. If you actually had covid, you would have antibodies for the spike protein AND the nucleus.

 

[Kwami]

Why not just test your whole family before you leave for peace of mind? Appts are easy to get at CVS and it's free.
There is no reason to wait until the ship is in sight to find out.

That might not be true for much longer. Since congress decided not to allocate any more money for Covid-19 stuff, the government will eventually stop reimbursing CVS and insurance companies for PCR tests.

Anyway, it's already not true in a lot of places. Rural areas have fewer testing options and even some urban areas don't have many free tests. It's rather annoying to schedule a free test where I am, for instance, unless you're willing to lie and say that you were exposed to the virus or that you have symptoms and that your test isn't just for travel purposes.

Plus, that really only works if you don't go anywhere between the test and the cruise. No spending a few days at Disney World or in New Orleans or something before the cruise. Otherwise, your test isn't really useful by the time you get to the port.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Why not just test your whole family before you leave for peace of mind? Appts are easy to get at CVS and it's free.
There is no reason to wait until the ship is in sight to find out.

Its not going to be free for much longer, and still that's a lot of work to pack up 5 people ahead of time. Plus that doesn't fully guarantee what will happen at port.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

That might not be true for much longer. Since congress decided not to allocate any more money for Covid-19 stuff, the government will eventually stop reimbursing CVS and insurance companies for PCR tests.

Anyway, it's already not true in a lot of places. Rural areas have fewer testing options and even some urban areas don't have many free tests. It's rather annoying to schedule a free test where I am, for instance, unless you're willing to lie and say that you were exposed to the virus or that you have symptoms and that your test isn't just for travel purposes.

Plus, that really only works if you don't go anywhere between the test and the cruise. No spending a few days at Disney World or in New Orleans or something before the cruise. Otherwise, your test isn't really useful by the time you get to the port.

Well stated. Free testing is drying up here due to lack of funding. Free testing is also ending in the UK soon, which going forward is going to happen most places.

 

[DCLMP]

Ditto. Several times for the 6 days we’ll be in CA before we get on the boat.

That sounds more stressful to me. I’d rather just not stress over it and enjoy my per cruise vacation. whatever happens happens. You can always reschedule the cruise.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Its not going to be free for much longer, and still that's a lot of work to pack up 5 people ahead of time. Plus that doesn't fully guarantee what will happen at port.

Ok so test at home before you pack. Test again before you fly. The cost is still dirt cheap compared to the cost of a cruise and the heartbreak of having to leave the port via car.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

That sounds more stressful to me. I’d rather just not stress over it and enjoy my per cruise vacation. whatever happens happens. You can always reschedule the cruise.

I agree, I'll continue to plan trips that don't have restrictions(vaccine or testing) and there are plenty of them out there.

 

[jujubiee4]

With all this talk about free testing I looked around in my area today and yes testing
seems to be phasing out esp if it is free.

 

[Kwami]

Ok so test at home before you pack. Test again before you fly. The cost is still dirt cheap compared to the cost of a cruise and the heartbreak of having to leave the port via car.

Sure, but the antigen tests don't pick up as many cases as the PCR tests. That might not matter if Disney actually switches to antigen tests, as expected.