What happens if you catch COVID whilst overseas?

[ethernet]

A suspicious lawyer would argue being locked for 'observation' in a Thai hospital is not treatment. That fine article from Matt, means Thailand is out of the question for now.

I believe EY also provides COVID insurance cover. I. booked a rewards seat and they sent me confirmation of the cover "Up to 100 [Euros] per day quarantine cost cover".

Reading the fine print a bit further: "If you are diagnosed...while you are traveling... outside your home country...we will cover any medical costs related to the treatment of COVID-19. Limit: 150,000 Euros"... "...we will cover your accommodation costs. Limit: 100 Euros per day for a maximum of 14 days."

They also cover actual repatriation costs if it is medically required.

 

[hossein_au]

A suspicious lawyer would argue being locked for 'observation' in a Thai hospital is not treatment. That fine article from Matt, means Thailand is out of the question for now.

Not only that, Thailand has been changing rules as if (insert your favourite proverb)

I stay away till they can keep a rule for more than a month or two…

 

[big_RED]

My wife and I landed in LAX from Sydney on 18/12/21 and then flew interstate within the US after a 5hr layover.

We're AZ double vaccinated, but on the 24/12/21 my wife tested positive to COVID. Both of us had been showing potential symptoms for a few days, but my result came back negative.

I am fully across the Aust Government reentry rules whereby if you are still positive after 14 days of your first positive test you can get a doctor's cert saying you're fit to fly. All the doctors we've spoken to in the US say it's highly likely you'll keep testing positive for a number of weeks (6-8) after having COVID so getting this fit to fly is crucial. And can only be written on/after the 14th day of your positive test.

I wasn't unfortunately across the Qantas rules which differ to the Aust Government rules it'd seem .

On the QF website it says we need to fill out valid exemption paper work (the fit to fly doctors cert) and submit it to QF no later than 7 days prior to our flights.

Therefore you need to wait 14 days to get the doctors cert to say you're fit to fly as you assume you'll test positive to all PCR tests for up to 8 weeks. You submit that doctors cert to Qantas, and can fly out 7 days later. So Qantas is expecting you to have 'isolated' for 21 days before boarding their flights vs governments stipulating 10-14 days.

If anyone's better across these rules please let me know in case I've misunderstood things.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Good incentive to get a negative test by any means possible I suppose.

 

[big_RED]

Just got a Rapid follow up test, now I am positive along with 2 more family members so that makes it 4 out of 5 of us are positive...

As I left the clinic in the US I realised the Aust Government needs a PCR positive test to define your 14 day infection period, not a Rapid positive test . Luckily I have been able to retest with a PCR and hoping to get the results this same day.

2 week holiday has now turned into a 4 week "holiday". And we'll have done 6 USD$135 COVID tests by the time we leave if everything works out now how we're hoping!

Not sure if travelling is worth it in these times unfortunately.

 

[Must...Fly!]

2 week holiday has now turned into a 4 week "holiday". And we'll have done 6 USD$135 COVID tests by the time we leave if everything works out now how we're hoping!

Sorry to hear, hope you recover and are back home with relative speed

 

[Quickstatus]

So Qantas is expecting you to have 'isolated' for 21 days before boarding their flights vs governments stipulating 10-14 days.

It’s the thing called paperwork which needs to be reviewed manually by Qantas Medical. Checkin staff are not trained to make that assessment
I recall that fit to fly certificates can cover all sorts of non Covid illnesses as well and it has always been a practice for the airline to be notified of this prior to the flight - usually this is 72hrs of anticipated travel. BUT it does not mean you can decide when to travel. The earliest travel date after suffering a medical condition is specified on the Travel Clearance Form.

In the case of the Qantas Covid past positive medical clearance form, they want it 7 days prior to anticipated travel.

It would be also silly to assume that you could plan a return flight in advance 14 days after first positive and guarantee to get a fit to fly cert. What if you are not fit to fly?.

Not sure if travelling is worth it in these times unfortunately.

Sorry, I get the frustration
But travel always carries with it, latent difficulties negotiating border crossings and unanticipated jurisdictional differences.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Are there any other airlines requiring such a laborious process? This seems different to fit to fly.

 

[Zanzara]

Just got a Rapid follow up test, now I am positive along with 2 more family members so that makes it 4 out of 5 of us are positive...

As I left the clinic in the US I realised the Aust Government needs a PCR positive test to define your 14 day infection period, not a Rapid positive test . Luckily I have been able to retest with a PCR and hoping to get the results this same day.

2 week holiday has now turned into a 4 week "holiday". And we'll have done 6 USD$135 COVID tests by the time we leave if everything works out now how we're hoping!

Not sure if travelling is worth it in these times unfortunately.

Hope symptoms aren’t bad & you all recover fast. If you managed to get any travel insurance (or maybe via some cover on an Australian CC) with included travel insurance they will, all being well, help cover some of the additional expenses of the extended trip. Hopefully too you get to enjoy the time.

 

[big_RED]

It would be also silly to assume that you could plan a return flight in advance 14 days after first positive and guarantee to get a fit to fly cert. What if you are not fit to fly?.

Fair comment. I suppose we're just assuming we'll finish having symptoms after 10 days which seems to be the general advice everyone gives. Therefore we'll pre-book the doctor for D14 to get this exemption.

travel insurance they will, all being well, help cover some of the additional expenses of the extended tri

Yep we got MediBank International travel insurance. Apart from a $250 excess per traveller, having spoken to them numerous times to keep them updated with our situation it sounds like all rebooking costs will be fully covered.

I'd said to everyone before we left that I assumed we'd get COVID in the US. I think being in Australia we were heavily in a bubble and shielded from any repercussions or what getting COVID actually meant. Jokes on me now!

 

[Quickstatus]

Therefore we'll pre-book the doctor

What’s the price of a CovidJab over there?. Not suggesting you should as you can’t due to current infection.

By the way just out of interest
Fly out 18/12
Tested positive 24/12

But when was first symptoms?. Not pointing the finger type question but interested if you can to see when you think the infection occurred. I would not be surprised you caught it in AU.

Also What class of travel?

 

[Pushka]

Are there any other airlines requiring such a laborious process? This seems different to fit to fly.

Qatar will fly people who abide by the Government regulations of the arrival country. I'm presuming transit doesn't count.

 

[big_RED]

What’s the price of a CovidJab over there?. Not suggesting you should as you can’t due to current infection.

By the way just out of interest
Fly out 18/12
Tested positive 24/12

But when was first symptoms?. Not pointing the finger type question but interested if you can to see when you think the infection occurred. I would not be surprised you caught it in AU.

Also What class of travel?

PCR tests are $135. Not sure how much the jab is. Didn't want to get the booster over here in case the Australian government had issues logging it in their system. Also apparently you shouldn't get a jab soon after having COVID as it's too much COVID in your system or something we've been told over here.

Symptoms for me were 22/12. Wife the same. She tested positive 24/12. I didn't. I assume if I tested on 25/12 I'd have been positive. So the 14 + 7 day requirement starts today for us (27/12) as this was my positive reading.

We assume LAX on 19/12 is when we contracted COVID. When we went through the international security it was chaos. Everyone was wearing masks but no distancing. The security agency's weren't in their booths so there was a 1hr delay where there was no movement in the line and more and more planes landed creating an incredibly overcrowded space.

We then had a 5hr layover, and then the internal 5hr flight from LAX to our destination. So it could have been that flight as well or the lounge. I believe to fly domestic in the US you just have to sign a form saying you aren't positive so anyone could lie on that.

We were in Business with QF.

 

[Quickstatus]

LAX it is.
Under ordinary non Covid circumstances it is considered a Zoo by most

Yes CovidVax should not be jabbed until at least recovered from Covid - ie after a CovidPCR neg result. However you likely don’t need a booster until 6 months later as you already got a booster from RealCovid(TM) - unless also immunocompromised.

Forget pyjamas - wear full PPE with eye protection and N95 mask at LAX.

 

[big_RED]

Forget pyjamas - wear full PPE with eye protection and N95 mask at LAX.

Probably not a bad idea!!

 

[PineappleSkip]

When I checked into the medi hotel in SYD one of the bits of paper was about what happens if you test positive, or already have done, on or after arrival in Australia. This was about a month ago and may not be current. But note the minimum of 10 days from first positive test before you can get medically cleared.

Cheers skip

Due to the increased infectivity of new strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, and the potential threat they pose to our community's health, we have amended the discharge process for patients in the Special Health Accommodation who have swabbed positive for COVID-19, in line with updated national guidelines.

To be medically cleared to be discharged from Special Health Accommodation, you must meet ALL of the following conditions:
1. Complete at least 14 days full of quarantine under the Public Health (COVID-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) Order;
2. Complete additional days in the Special Health Accommodation since being diagnosed with COVID-19-this is at least 10 days if you do not have a variant of
concern, and at least 14 days if you do have a variant of concern;
3. In the 72 hours before an exit swab can be performed, your clinical condition must be assessed as having substantially improved;
4. Have an exit swab and (if necessary) have a blood sample collected so that a serology test can be performed. If your swab is negative, you are medically cleared.
If your swab is positive, an Expert Panel will consider whether your condition is still infectious and whether you are suitable to be medically cleared. If the Expert Panel determines you are still infectious, you will need to remain in the Special Health Accommodation until you are medically cleared.

 

[Hvr]

Omicron and international travel: In the UK for Christmas, I caught COVID - and now I can't come home

Flying to England for Christmas to see his ageing parents was always going to be a risk - but for Karl Quinn, not doing so was even riskier.

www.traveller.com.au

One person's experience.

 

[Must...Fly!]

His experience is interesting but also doesn't mention the most significant and important factor once you test positive.

You need to find a doctor immediately and begin a record of positive test, symptoms and treatment so they can write a letter confirming your recovery. There's a very real chance that after 2 weeks and symptom free you continue to shed virus and therefore positive on PCR test. How you could reliably do this I do not know, and an still investigating. I am assuming an Australian GP will not do a privately billed consult to anyone outside the country.

Or countries stop this whole negative test thing first but I wouldn't count on that

 

[Pushka]

His experience is interesting but also doesn't mention the most significant and important factor once you test positive.

You need to find a doctor immediately and begin a record of positive test, symptoms and treatment so they can write a letter confirming your recovery. There's a very real chance that after 2 weeks and symptom free you continue to shed virus and therefore positive on PCR test. How you could reliably do this I do not know, and an still investigating. I am assuming an Australian GP will not do a privately billed consult to anyone outside the country.

Or countries stop this whole negative test thing first but I wouldn't count on that

Absolutely this. I mentioned this in another Covid thread. Also relevant on the way out of Oz if the overseas country requires a negative test.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Absolutely this. I mentioned this in another Covid thread. Also relevant on the way out of Oz if the overseas country requires a negative test.

If one is truthful it provides some incentive to have already had COVID before travel.