Are we there yet? Your second Travel Megathread (threadbans in OP}

gozunda wrote: »

Where is your source that most if the "EU will more than likely be accepting antigen tests,"?

Many countries in the EU are still using PCR tests as a requirement for entry. I really don't see that changing in the short-term.

Also you say

"A lot of people are getting stuck abroad because they are testing positive on PCR tests for a virus they had months ago"

"A lot of people"? Could you quantity 'a lot"?

Afaik current research indicates that approx 18% of people overall test positive on PCR tests overall due to prior infections.

So the percentage of people who are currently travelling being affected by this should be even lower again presuming not everyone who travels will have had a prior infection etc.

I suspect there are some who may be using this issue as an excuse as to why they shouldn't be stopped from travelling after being infected whilst abroad.

This is supported by the fact that many travellers to date have had to present a negative PCR on entry to these countries. A bit odd that the same PCR tests doesn't indicate that they are positive on arrival.

I have one friend who went to her holiday home in Spain. She had already had COVID here in Ireland. She went for her PCR test and it came up positive. So she went to another provider because she needed a negative test and that one came up negative. So not only did the PCR testing give an incorrect result it was also inconsistent.

Sample of one but doesn't support your hypothesis.

Where is the cheapest place to get a pcr test?

gozunda wrote: »

What I would say about your friends experience
Is that - where there are inconsistent results from different testing companies - then that should be investigated for sure.

It remains approx only 18% of people will show positive results on prior infections and that figure decreases over time from when a person was originally infected.

So overall it shouldn't be a issue for the absolute majority of people travelling.

Only 18% of tests are wrong...... so a family of 5 only have to leave one child at the airport.....

Valhallapt wrote: »

Only 18% of tests are wrong...... so a family of 5 only have to leave one child at the airport.....

Well no - that's 18% of people who have already been infected ...

https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20201112/some-patients-test-positive-for-sarscov2-after-recovery-few-may-be-infectious

gozunda wrote: »

What I would say about your friends experience
Is that - where there are inconsistent results from different testing companies - then that should be investigated for sure.

It remains approx only 18% of people will show positive results on prior infections and that figure decreases over time from when a person was originally infected.

So overall it shouldn't be a issue for the absolute majority of people travelling.

Cillian De Gascun's comments below would make me nervous if I was relying on it to get home. Particularly with a family where the probability of one bad test in the group increases. And if you have already had COVID then it is just not a very useful test at all...who is going to take a 1 in 5 chance of a false positive?

"
Whilst PCR is exquisitely sensitive and remains the current gold-standard for diagnosing #SARSCoV 2 infection, it has some limitations. For example, it does not distinguish between viable virus and non-infectious RNA. 24/n
Cillian De Gascun
@CillianDeGascun
·
Sep 13, 2020
This can be challenging for the management of some individuals infected with #SARSCoV2, as RNA can remain detectable – albeit at low levels – for a number of weeks, and sometimes months, following the original infection. 25/n
Cillian De Gascun
@CillianDeGascun
·
Sep 13, 2020
In addition, PCR assays may generate ‘non-specific’ or ‘false positive’ results. These are uncommon, occurring at a rate of somewhere in the region of 1-3%. However, the larger the number of tests that is performed, the larger the number of false positive results. 26/n

"

kilns wrote: »

I thought the walk in test centres were free of charge?

They only send you a text message confirming positive or negative. no use when travelling abroad, you need something more official

gozunda wrote: »

And again award for "Things never said" ' goes to Valhallapt

So can a family of 5 get the virus or not?

I should be fully vaxed by the end of June, surely I will be able to get to the UK without the crazy "variants" causing further issues.

Ferry over to Wales for a long weekend on the cards, the incredibly flaccid leadership will of hopefully got some sense during June... this scare talk is losing its weight with so many being vaccinated

"gozunda;117264069&#8221 wrote:

Your previous comment tried to suggest that the 18% of those affected equated to 1 in 5 of the general population. It doesn’t.

Looks like the things never said award goes straight back to you...

Valhallapt wrote: »

Looks like the things never said award goes straight back to you...

Er no wrong again

Valhallapt wrote: »

Only 18% of tests are wrong...... so a family of 5 only have to leave one child at the airport.....

Again no it doesn't. That's 18% of those who have had prior infections may show positive (and a small number of those may actually be still positive). Not the entire population or tests.

Btw why are you suggesting people should leave children in the airport?

Donald Trump wrote: »

What is your proof of being vaccinated? I'm obviously not saying you are not. I'm talking about the logistics. I mean how do you differentiate between an American who is vaccinated and one who is not but that says they are upon arrival because they know that that is the only way that they will be allowed enter?
My friend in the US sent me a photo of her "appointment card" after receiving her first shot. It just had the date squiggled on it for her second appointment and she also had a generic sticker she could wear advertising that she had been vaccinated by that particular medical company - "I received my Covid vaccine at X".

Do they have any official certified register or database that they would share with the Irish authorities? I doubt it.

Also, you being vaccinated means that you can still carry the virus in. You need to be vaccinated and the people here also need to be vaccinated for people here to be safe.

At the airports they are already accepting US vaccination cards to allow those people to avoid mandatory hotel quarantine. There is no reason why they can't continue to accept the same material and simply not require the same people to quarantine.

You can still carry the virus in but when fully vaccinated the is small to a) having it and b) spreading it. We've gotten to the point where we have to look at the risk vs reward and the risk of vaccinated travelers pose is low, much lower than opening up elements of the economy to non-vaccinated people.