US to drop Covid testing requirement for return flights

[fortnightlily]

www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/10/world/covid-19-mandates-vaccine-cases#us-testing-travel-mandate-covid

Figures, just a week ago I shelled out $$$ for those proctored eMed tests (including forced $21 overnight shipping) for our trip to Europe later this month.

[lilac05]

Given that I still tested negative on day 4 of significant symptoms, I’m not especially bothered by this. As you know, it adds significant cost and stress for people, and I don’t think that the tests are accurate enough with the new omicron variants. I also think a negative test gives people a false sense of security. “I have a sore throat, but a negative test, so I’m just going to keep going about my day!”

I’d chalk it up to being just an exception to the rule, but I know a ton of people who have had similar experiences.

[Deleted]

I’m very executed not to subjected to government mandated unnecessary medical tests for our trip to Belize later this summer.

[wanderingback]

Jun 10, 2022 17:34:03 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Given that I still tested negative on day 4 of significant symptoms, I’m not especially bothered by this. As you know, it adds significant cost and stress for people, and I don’t think that the tests are accurate enough with the new omicron variants. I also think a negative test gives people a false sense of security. “I have a sore throat, but a negative test, so I’m just going to keep going about my day!”

I’d chalk it up to being just an exception to the rule, but I know a ton of people who have had similar experiences.

Do you have info about pcr and antigen tests no longer being accurate? Has the sensitivity gone down?

[lilac05]

Jun 10, 2022 18:45:33 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Jun 10, 2022 17:34:03 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Given that I still tested negative on day 4 of significant symptoms, I’m not especially bothered by this. As you know, it adds significant cost and stress for people, and I don’t think that the tests are accurate enough with the new omicron variants. I also think a negative test gives people a false sense of security. “I have a sore throat, but a negative test, so I’m just going to keep going about my day!”

I’d chalk it up to being just an exception to the rule, but I know a ton of people who have had similar experiences.

Do you have info about pcr and antigen tests no longer being accurate? Has the sensitivity gone down?

No, just anecdotally. I know a LOT of people who tested negative while symptomatic and then 3-4 days later, tested positive. My doctor told me not to trust a negative antigen test if someone was symptomatic and had been around a known positive person. But that’s also why I said “I don’t think” and not definitively that they are not.

[aurora]

I'm glad I won't have to worry about this for my next (not yet booked) international trip.

Signed,
One of the 5% of people wearing a mask at the airport (domestic) right now

[wildrice]

Glad to hear this, but I am annoyed that we just got back to the US on Sunday before the change. I was stressed about the possibility of being denied entry to the US and it did put a bit of a damper on traveling. Not to mention, it cost us $70 to test and then nobody actually even looked at our results. I would not be opposed to testing if the US was taking literally any other measures to prevent the spread of COVID at this point, but keeping only this 1 measure in place seemed to make no sense.

I guess the only good thing is that we skipped masks on our flight home since everyone on the plane was negative. I know that doesnt mean everyone didn't have it, but presumably if they do not have enough viral load to show up on a test, they are not super contagious. It was a long flight so it was nice to be able to freely eat/drink throughout. Masks aren't required anyway but we likely would have worn them if not for testing (we did wear them on the outgoing flight).

[af1212]

Jun 10, 2022 19:04:25 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Jun 10, 2022 18:45:33 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Do you have info about pcr and antigen tests no longer being accurate? Has the sensitivity gone down?

No, just anecdotally. I know a LOT of people who tested negative while symptomatic and then 3-4 days later, tested positive. (Including 3/4 in our family this round. My oldest tested positive on day 2 of symptoms. We didn’t test on day 1.) Our doctor told us not to trust a negative antigen test if we were symptomatic. But that’s also why I said “I don’t think” and not definitively that they are not.

Isn’t this how the test is designed to be used? Aren’t you supposed to test twice a few days apart? Or has something in the testing protocol changed?

[aurora]

Jun 10, 2022 19:15:26 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Jun 10, 2022 19:04:25 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

No, just anecdotally. I know a LOT of people who tested negative while symptomatic and then 3-4 days later, tested positive. (Including 3/4 in our family this round. My oldest tested positive on day 2 of symptoms. We didn’t test on day 1.) Our doctor told us not to trust a negative antigen test if we were symptomatic. But that’s also why I said “I don’t think” and not definitively that they are not.

Isn’t this how the test is designed to be used? Aren’t you supposed to test twice a few days apart? Or has something in the testing protocol changed?

I am not an expert at all tests, but given the discussion here I was surprised to read the instructions on my latest box that said one test was enough if symptomatic (still 2 if asymptomatic).

[lilac05]

Jun 10, 2022 19:15:26 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Jun 10, 2022 19:04:25 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

No, just anecdotally. I know a LOT of people who tested negative while symptomatic and then 3-4 days later, tested positive. (Including 3/4 in our family this round. My oldest tested positive on day 2 of symptoms. We didn’t test on day 1.) Our doctor told us not to trust a negative antigen test if we were symptomatic. But that’s also why I said “I don’t think” and not definitively that they are not.

Isn’t this how the test is designed to be used? Aren’t you supposed to test twice a few days apart? Or has something in the testing protocol changed?

I believe it was originally 2 times, 36 or 48 hours apart. I’m not sure if the tests still say that or not. We were all still negative at that point, too.

[underwaterrhymes]

This makes me so angry.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2022 19:15:26 GMT -5 af1212 said:

Jun 10, 2022 19:04:25 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

No, just anecdotally. I know a LOT of people who tested negative while symptomatic and then 3-4 days later, tested positive. (Including 3/4 in our family this round. My oldest tested positive on day 2 of symptoms. We didn’t test on day 1.) Our doctor told us not to trust a negative antigen test if we were symptomatic. But that’s also why I said “I don’t think” and not definitively that they are not.

Isn’t this how the test is designed to be used? Aren’t you supposed to test twice a few days apart? Or has something in the testing protocol changed?

Regardless, the entry testing protocol was just one test. And the tests have never been great on asymptomatic people. It’s entirely possible to have contracted COVID, be asymptomatic, test negative, and still be contagious and infect people around you during or shortly after your travels. And while false positives aren’t as common, I know some people who got what they believe was a false positive (was followed by several negative tests) and either had to cancel travel or got stuck outside the country for a mandatory isolation.

The test protocol was better than nothing, but was far from perfect.

[neverfstop]

I just took a proctored test about a week ago to get back in. They were very studious in making sure you 100% followed all teh rules and then waited 15 min. Then, basically asked you to see for yourself if there were 2 lines (positive) or one (negative). They don't even review the results, so you could just tell them whatever you wanted. I agree it's better than nothing, but not much. A few honest people may have reported a positive, but I imagine most people would say negative just to avoid being stuck out of the country. You had to upload the results to your domestic airline, but nobody in the US ever asked us for it. My coworker said her brother flew Lufthansa back to the US and didn't have to test last week...

[underwaterrhymes]

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

[fernweh]

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:11 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

I shared this on another board already but when H and I flew home from Croatia a couple weeks ago we tested at the airport a couple hours before our flight. Got home, went to bed, and H woke up feeling sick the next day and tested positive. I’m sure he had it before we got on our plane and it’s possible he was contagious. Testing doesn’t stop covid from coming into a country.

[underwaterrhymes]

Jun 10, 2022 20:50:17 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:11 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

I shared this on another board already but when H and I flew home from Croatia a couple weeks ago we tested at the airport a couple hours before our flight. Got home, went to bed, and H woke up feeling sick the next day and tested positive. I’m sure he had it before we got on our plane and it’s possible he was contagious. Testing doesn’t stop covid from coming into a country.

It minimizes it though.

[wanderingback]

Jun 10, 2022 20:50:17 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:11 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

I shared this on another board already but when H and I flew home from Croatia a couple weeks ago we tested at the airport a couple hours before our flight. Got home, went to bed, and H woke up feeling sick the next day and tested positive. I’m sure he had it before we got on our plane and it’s possible he was contagious. Testing doesn’t stop covid from coming into a country.

There is not 1 method that is going to stop covid completely. But multiple layers of risk mitigation do help. Harm reduction is a good strategy. It seems like a lot of people think it has to be all or nothing. Like no risk mitigation at all or "lock downs," which is absolutely not the case. I knew this point was coming but it is frustrating since vaccines and therapeutics are not available to many people in the US and worldwide and covid is still a pandemic.

[mrsukyankee]

I'm happy, on one hand, that I won't have to pay to test before coming into the US this summer (both my H and I will test a few days and on the day anyway, but not the pay so someone can see you ones). We will wear a mask in the airport and on the flight, and we're being careful in these two weeks before our flight (24th).

[basilosaurus]

I've seen this drop of requirements in my region of travel beginning with Mar: test with quarantine to Apr: test no quarantine to May: no test. That's with vaccinated. Without is more restrictive, and testing is always required in that case if 12+ (vaccines under 12 are still not wholly accessible).

I think countries are coming to think of it as endemic. There's not much point in restricting entry when it's already everywhere. That is understandable IMO. What I do not understand is dropping mask requirements and/or proof of vaccine or recent infection.

I am coming to think of the vaccine requirement as similar to vaccines for public schools. It's a way to increase coverage. It should just be standard. Masks should be standard. But a negative test, yeah, I can see the need for that decreasing.

[litebright]

I have been stuck in Germany for 8 days longer than expected after testing positive less than 24 hours before my return flight for a work trip. I tested negative about 36 hours before the flight then positive the following afternoon.

Local quarantine was five days, but I could not get on a US flight sooner than 10 days post-positive PCR until now, unless I had either a negative or a doctor's note of recovery (which I couldn't get until 10 days post-positive PCR). I had a flight booked for Monday (day 11) and moved it up to tomorrow.

I tested negative on a rapid for the first time this morning (day 9). I'm currently waiting for a proctored rapid test result so I can have the documentation of a negative just in case. I am not fucking around, this has been a shitty experience and I just want to go home. And yes, I knew the risks and bought trip insurance to help mitigate it. It still entirely sucks.

And now I officially have documentation of a negative. Thank God.

[mrsukyankee]

Hugs, litebright

[wise_rita]

Jun 10, 2022 19:12:13 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I would not be opposed to testing if the US was taking literally any other measures to prevent the spread of COVID at this point, but keeping only this 1 measure in place seemed to make no sense.

QFT

But I'm loooong past the point of supporting the pre-travel test. It's like walking on eggshells for weeks prior to flying to the US, which for many is their entire time spent abroad. And to still maybe have it, just not yet testing positive. What a waste of resources!

I will give credit to USA, though, that rapid tests were always part of the plan, not just PCR. Much less time, money and sensitivity needed to do RATs than PCR.

[sillygoosegirl]

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:11 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

I absolutely agree that we should still be masking in indoor spaces, and I think requiring a negative test before you are allowed into a crowded public place like an airplane or airport is a great idea, whether it's a domestic or international flight. But I also think it's pretty silly and useless to require a negative COVID test to enter an area that is already a COVID hotspot and is taking approximately zero COVID precautions.

[underwaterrhymes]

Jun 11, 2022 10:33:56 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:11 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

I absolutely agree that we should still be masking in indoor spaces, and I think requiring a negative test before you are allowed into a crowded public place like an airplane or airport is a great idea, whether it's a domestic or international flight. But I also think it's pretty silly and useless to require a negative COVID test to enter an area that is already a COVID hotspot and is taking approximately zero COVID precautions.

I’ve been very vocal that I think that humans pretty much don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves and we have blown this both as institutions and as individuals.

We had our chance to keep this pandemic under control, and we blew it on every level. This is just one more domino that they have knocked down and I’m so over it.

COVID will NEVER be endemic because humanity sucks.

[wise_rita]

Jun 11, 2022 10:33:56 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

Jun 10, 2022 20:24:11 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I realize I’m in the minority, but I think masking should still be required in public indoor spaces and testing negative should be required before entry into ANY country. There is so much inequity in vaccine distribution and we continue to display our utter lack of regard for other humans.

I absolutely agree that we should still be masking in indoor spaces, and I think requiring a negative test before you are allowed into a crowded public place like an airplane or airport is a great idea, whether it's a domestic or international flight. 

Realistically I think this would have been impossible, don't you think?  Even at the height of the pandemic.

I'd be really interested to see how much flight capacity was ever reduced.  Lots of airline staff were laid off so maybe it's more than I think.

[Roc A Bee]

I’m thankful as I know I would low key worry about being stuck in Canada if we tested positive.

Also testing was only required for flights. So you could enter by boat, foot, or car without testing.

[lea]

I’m honestly more concerned about whether there will be funding for vaccine supply and meds and everything come fall. I feel like rapid testing is so hit-or-miss with these current variants and currently PCRs are convenient for us because they’re still offering drive-ups but I’m sure eventually we’ll have to make doctors appointments and pay copays and stuff to get tested. You know if the GOP regains control in November that jackshit is going to be done about COVID if nothing happens before then.

[lilac05]

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/06/is-my-negative-covid-test-accurate/661242/

There’s not good data on it, but some experts are talking about it. Unfortunately, as the article points out, it’s extremely difficult to do a high quality study on this. We will never have a way of knowing how many people have tested negative & recovered quickly, but actually had Covid.

I hypothesize that there might be a pattern within individuals that is at play along with specific variants.


I’m not saying tests are useless or shouldn’t be taken, but I do think they can offer a false sense of security. I wish more people would follow “if you’re symptomatic, stay home”, but realize the math is much different when you’re talking about a slightly runny nose and an international flight vs going to see a movie in a theater.

FWIW, I wish masks were still required on planes. I feel like that would possibly be even more beneficial to other travelers than requiring negative tests.

[jinkies]

Jun 12, 2022 8:15:39 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

FWIW, I wish masks were still required on planes. I feel like that would possibly be even more beneficial to other travelers than requiring negative tests.

I was required to wear one on my Lufthansa flight to Germany this weekend. Not sure if it is a German policy, Lufthansa policy, or true for all international travel.

I agree it is likely more beneficial than the testing requirement.

[goldengirlz]

Jun 11, 2022 10:49:18 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Jun 11, 2022 10:33:56 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

I absolutely agree that we should still be masking in indoor spaces, and I think requiring a negative test before you are allowed into a crowded public place like an airplane or airport is a great idea, whether it's a domestic or international flight. But I also think it's pretty silly and useless to require a negative COVID test to enter an area that is already a COVID hotspot and is taking approximately zero COVID precautions.

I’ve been very vocal that I think that humans pretty much don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves and we have blown this both as institutions and as individuals.

We had our chance to keep this pandemic under control, and we blew it on every level. This is just one more domino that they have knocked down and I’m so over it.

COVID will NEVER be endemic because humanity sucks.

How are you defining endemic? From what I understand, an endemic virus can still circulate pretty widely, but it doesn’t cause the same level of disruption to daily life. And that has much to do with vaccine coverage and treatments as anything else. Covid will definitely be endemic in higher income countries before long. We’re already seeing new variants having more modest impacts on hospitalizations, especially in areas of the country with high vaccination rates.

FWIW, we’re actually a few months behind the European Union and Canada with this policy change. I’m surprised we held on as long as we did. You generally need to be vaccinated to travel internationally anyway, so you could think of it as waiving the test for vaccinated individuals.