UK-US travel, 2021/2022

[bavarian princess]

Many thanks to both of you. I just went to a testing facility for an antigen rapid and it it came back negative. I used this testing facility when I traveled to the Florida in December.
On the document it says: for the detection of SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus by a PoC antigen test.
Is this kind of test still accepted by the CDC? Gosh all these requirements are stressing me out

 

[Annedawso]

I don’t go until September so really hoping that all this is over by then.
Just wanted to say the way I read the CDC guidance you will have to get a test within 24 hours of flying. “Before boarding a flight to the USA, most passengers - regardless of vaccination status - are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 1 day before travel. ”

 

[Plague]

So my advice would be to get a LFT not a PCR test if you do go down the testing route.

I don't think the US accepts LFTs for travel.
Using one for a '3 week prior' self test would probably be useless as I don't think they are sensitive enough to pick up the remains of a previous infection.

(LFTs aren't even reliable at picking up current infection. Some weeks back we both had cold/flu symptoms and did LFTs ... Negative. Two days later we did PCRs which both came back positive.
Apparently if you do an LFT and PCR on the same day and the PCR is positive there is a 20% chance the LFT will be negative. So they are good if you want to avoid being diagnosed, but not as a predictor of an antigen test.)

 

[Plague]

On the document it says: for the detection of SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus by a PoC antigen test.
Is this kind of test still accepted by the CDC

I don't think they've changed anything since December, so if it was OK then it probably will be now.
But apparently the CDC don't define the acceptable tests anyway:
CDC criteria: It must be a viral test authorised by the FDC or the national authority where the test is administered.
(My bold)

I thought you were doing the exemption thing though?

 

[bavarian princess]

I don't think they've changed anything since December, so if it was OK then it probably will be now.
But apparently the CDC don't define the acceptable tests anyway:
CDC criteria: It must be a viral test authorised by the FDC or the national authority where the test is administered.
(My bold)

I thought you were doing the exemption thing though?

Yes, I am doing the exemption thing but am asking for my friend. Since we are based in Germany and we are not English native speakers we are extra careful to understand the requirements and get everything right

From the CDC website:
You must be tested with a viral test to look for current infection – these include an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

Phrases indicating a test is an antigen test could include, but not are not limited to:

• Rapid antigen test
• Viral antigen test
• Also, could be noted as Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay, Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay, or Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence

 

[MichelinMan]

I don't think the US accepts LFTs for travel.
Using one for a '3 week prior' self test would probably be useless as I don't think they are sensitive enough to pick up the remains of a previous infection.

(LFTs aren't even reliable at picking up current infection. Some weeks back we both had cold/flu symptoms and did LFTs ... Negative. Two days later we did PCRs which both came back positive.
Apparently if you do an LFT and PCR on the same day and the PCR is positive there is a 20% chance the LFT will be negative. So they are good if you want to avoid being diagnosed, but not as a predictor of an antigen test.)

LFTs are an antigen test. I should perhaps have used the phrase antigen test, as that is wider than just LFTs.

According to my Industral Hygiene colleague at work, PCR tests are better in the early stages of the infection, but once developed, LFTs are quite good (and often better when people are displaying symptoms).

 

[Plague]

According to my Industral Hygiene colleague at work, PCR tests are better in the early stages of the infection, but once developed, LFTs are quite good (and often better when people are displaying symptoms).

From some info I've seen it seems the LFTs are less sensitive and have a narrower window of detection each side of peak infection.
When we had covid (with cold/flu symptoms) some weeks back both our LFTs were negative but PCRs done a couple of days later were positive. So even with symptoms LFTs don't seem to be reliable, which is why I think for anything related to an expensive holiday a PCR, or similar, is probably a better choice.

 

[jockdog]

From some info I've seen it seems the LFTs are less sensitive and have a narrower window of detection each side of peak infection.
When we had covid (with cold/flu symptoms) some weeks back both our LFTs were negative but PCRs done a couple of days later were positive. So even with symptoms LFTs don't seem to be reliable, which is why I think for anything related to an expensive holiday a PCR, or similar, is probably a better choice.

LFT meets the US requirement, as does PCR. So better from a risk perspective to go LFT.

 

[Plague]

LFT meets the US requirement, as does PCR. So better from a risk perspective to go LFT.

If you're testing a few weeks before travel you want a positive result so you'll get the recovered exemption = guaranteed travel. So a PCR is a better choice.

If you have to test immediately before travel then, if LFT is acceptable, that's definitely a better choice.

Is basically gaming the system to have the best chance of getting on the plane.

 

[jockdog]

If you're testing a few weeks before travel you want a positive result so you'll get the recovered exemption = guaranteed travel. So a PCR is a better choice.

If you have to test immediately before travel then, if LFT is acceptable, that's definitely a better choice.

Is basically gaming the system to have the best chance of getting on the plane.

Fair point.

 

[cliveywolves]

Unfortunately or not for myself and wife we both tested positive last week after a work conference, logged it via NHS , so we will still do the supervised video LFT the day before we fly next month but also will now obtain a covid recovery letter from our local GP just in case it’s needed, I guess our golden safety net to gain entry, just have to hope our daughter stays clear of covid now…

 

[Plague]

so we will still do the supervised video LFT the day before we fly next month

Why?
The recovery certification exempts you from taking any tests ... Use that and you are good to go.
Taking a test so soon after infection risks losing your trip on a positive result for no reason.
Daughter is a test risk still of course.

[Edit: See also post #699 on previous page (35)]

 

[goaljira]

Flew back on Sunday. So far myself and two others have since tested positive, and all 3 remaining from the party are suffering cold like symptoms but testing negative. It felt like 1/3 of the plane was coughing.

 

[Garyjames220]

Flew back on Sunday. So far myself and two others have since tested positive, and all 3 remaining from the party are suffering cold like symptoms but testing negative. It felt like 1/3 of the plane was coughing.

we flew back Sunday to, and I herd non stop coughing through out the flight

 

[cliff]

For anyone who has a COVID Recovery Certificate. We recently flew with Virgin to Orlando and they were very relaxed about checking the documents when we checked in. They only looked at one of the letters confirming a member of our party of 6 had recovered and didn’t even look at the dates. Must admit I was expecting them to be more stringent in their checking. We did our documents through the Montague Clinic and they were very easy to deal with.

 

[Plague]

we flew back Sunday to, and I herd non stop coughing through out the flight

I suspect it was like that pre-2020 ... but nobody really noticed. Take any group of a couple of hundred people and several will have a cough due to something.

 

[Garyjames220]

I suspect it was like that pre-2020 ... but nobody really noticed. Take any group of a couple of hundred people and several will have a cough due to something.

it did feel a lot different to be honest. It was like every 2nd row was coughing and coughing really badly like coughing fits, if never seen anything like that before

 

[schumigirl]

it did feel a lot different to be honest. It was like every 2nd row was coughing and coughing really badly like coughing fits, if never seen anything like that before

I agree it does seem worse than before. We flew back home last night and I though one woman wouldn’t make it home alive she was coughing so bad. I was glad I slept through most of it, but felt so bad for her.

Lots of folks coughing and not just the odd cough or two. We were in Premium so it was noticeable but we could hear folks back in economy too.

I think we may test in a few days to a week as it was the same in the airport to be honest.

 

[pigby]

We are due to fly in 7 weeks time so I was checking the rules. We are flying with TUI and it says key in your booking reference to come up with list of test providers so I did that and all of them are self test antigens but none require a video link so they can check it is you thats doing the test - some sites including Virgin say thats what you need. So getting confused can you buy a regular LFT (antigen) and do it yourself and upload the result or does it have to be a video link one?

 

[itf]

I thought it was still supervised, am flying with Virgin myself.