I started with some symptoms yesterday and tested positive today while I am at home prior to a scheduled trip later in the week. The doctor stated isolate for 5 days from the start of symptoms, mask for an additional 5 days. I hope to start Paxlovid tomorrow. I will also get a formal test for insurance purposes.
Thankfully, I was not signed up for a Rick Steves Tour, but I am scheduled to travel with my son and daughter-in-law, so this impacts several people. I am currently "waiting". Technically, I'll be past the 5 days isolation period prior to my flight and I have no difficulties with masking up. I am waiting to see how the course of this disease goes and if I can convert to negative prior to my flight. I notice there is a huge tug of war in my mind. I am okay to travel according to the doctor unless I become quite ill. Right now it is like a bad sinus infection. However, I want to be respectful to fellow travelers and make sure that I am not passing anything along.
There are pros and cons for each decision. I am not asking for your input on what decision I make. That will be between myself and my doctor I am sharing that testing positive before travel opens up a brand new can of worms and decisions that must be made.
Update: First of all, thank you for all your kind wishes and thoughts. They were so appreciated!
I am doing amazingly well and noticed a truly remarkable change in my condition after starting Paxlovid. (No cost). I have three high risk factors so I have always kept my immunization status current. I went from feeling pretty crummy and going from nap to nap to bed, to feeling significantly better and not needing a nap at all the next day. Headaches, fever, etc have disappeared. I am feeling extremely blessed. I have the okay from my dr to go. Isolation period over, but I will mask in transit or crowded spaces anyway out of respect for others. I am also recognizing that the pace of my participation in this trip will probably change as well. Would I make the same decision if this had been a solo trip? Iâm not sure. I did convert to a negative Covid test prior to travel so I view this as a very good sign.
I did spend some time going through all my reservations, travel insurance, and airline policies. I felt that I would have been in pretty good shape financially had I decided to delay or cancel. I did notice that I had not really paid as close attention to the airlineâs policies as I probably should have. They had a specific date where their policies surrounding Covid cancellation had changed that I was unaware of.
I did get an âofficialâ PCR test in case I do make any insurance claims.
I did try to imagine what it must be like to be sick/isolated overseas and a very big, big amount of sympathy to anyone who has faced illness while on a trip. Iâll do a trip report in a separate post when I return.