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My experience - Covid positive in Spain

After 2 years working every day in the ICU with covid patients, I finally contracted the darn bug - on vacation. 🤦‍♀️ I just finished the Best of Spain tour, and the morning of my test I woke up with a sore throat. Unfortunately, I was positive. My husband was not, so he was able to return home.

So far, everything is going well. My symptoms are no worse than a minor cold. We told the hotel and they downgraded me to a smaller single room which only costs 55 euro per night. They were even willing to let us use their washer and dryer since I was out of clean clothes. I read up on the requirements in Spain. There is no requirement to notify anyone or to be on strict quarantine. They request you wear a mask if you go out and limit interaction with other people. I have been leaving my room once per day in a k95 mask to get food and walk in the park for air and exercise. I found a bakery where I can buy 2 sandwiches for the day for 8 euros with a contactless payment system so I dont have to closely interact with anyone. So, all in all, it hasn't been terribly expensive to extend my stay so far, which is lucky.

I'm reading that people test positive for a long time, so am anticipating waiting the full 10 days and then getting a doctor's certification to travel. But once my symptoms fully clear, I'll test again on the off chance that I come up negative.

It's definitely the fly in the ointment of an otherwise perfect trip, but I was mentally prepared for the outcome and it could definitely be worse.

Posted by
496 posts

How nice to hear of someone taking this in their stride - as we all need to be able too. Enjoy the extra Spanish time

Posted by
496 posts

So sorry Tamara!! I am glad though you seem very prepared and are handling it so well. Spain quarantine sounds tolerable. Good news you got most of your trip experienced and in good health!
And to think you avoided Covid after working all this time with Covid patients! And you contact the crazy virus on vaca?.….You likely so needed this trip!! What a bummer!
Can’t help myself but wonder if you know how you were infected? You likely were cautious and know how to avoid infection better than anyone! But it’s sooo “sneaky”! Any guidance you can give? My husband, myself, adult children and grandchildren have somehow been spared getting Covid this entire time! Testing frequently throughout…all vaxed, boosted and wore masks. Still happens often tho!?
I am trying to not be anxious about this! We leave tomorrow on 2 wk Greece, Adriatic, and around Italy cruise. We plan to kn95 mask indoors, flights, transportation…etc. Also eating our meals on ship on outside dining areas whenever possible.
If pos tested as you are…I would not want to be alone. So could be longer if my husband then becomes infected! When we booked this trip several months ago, it surely appearded we’d be beyond this point. Thought we were following science and trying to stay hopeful! But Covid is the gift that keeps on giving!! Continued good and better days ahead for you and safe travels home!

Posted by
13 posts

Wow Tamara… what an experience! Thanks for telling us about your experience. We travel independently in hopes of being less exposed and we try to avoid public transportation (except the plane, of course) but it only takes a brief exposure and this new variant is so contagious. I’m surprised more people are not catching COVID on tours. Sorry to hear about that experience!

Posted by
4867 posts

Tamara, sorry it happened, but I love your calm approach to it and hope you are heading home soon! Every time I travel, I mentally prepare for a positive test at the end - and every time I test, I have that niggle of worry. But hopefully your tour was so fun that the memory makes this inconvenience well-worth it!

Posted by
537 posts

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. To me, the worst part of testing positive overseas would be if you were somewhere that you were forced to remain in your hotel room, unable to leave at all. Italy may be one of those places, or was at one time. I can work remotely and have brought my laptop along on my international trips just in case, so it wouldn't be a total financial loss. But being unable to get outside for fresh air would be far, far worse to me than the expense or hassle of extending my stay. I hope you find your extended vacation at least somewhat peaceful and relaxing.

Posted by
2797 posts

Thanks for sharing, Tamara. I admire your attitude and will try to emulate it if I find myself in the same position. Best wishes for a quick recovery!

Posted by
610 posts

all2alb - I have no idea when I got it. I was careful about hand washing and always wore my mask on the bus and in crowded spaces. But I could have been more careful. At the end of the day, sometimes this happens and I just accept it. I hope your trip goes well.

Posted by
5638 posts

Hi,
Thx for sharing. Are you in the same hotel your RS Tour ended? Was wondering if the RS Guide was a resource? Can't believe that irony of all this!
We just returned from Germany, and that last day testing is a bit stressful.
Hope you get home soon, and best wishes.

Posted by
3566 posts

Tamara, here’s hoping you test negative soon. It happened to us as well. My husband tested positive before our tour, we were kicked off the tour, but we stayed in Paris till his scheduled flight home and then he was negative so we did not have to change flights. I was negative the whole time! I assume you had to change your return flight home? Did that cost a bundle?

Posted by
911 posts

Wishing you the best Tamara. We are planning a Portugal/Spain tour with a different company in Oct/Nov which ends in Madrid but planning to add 2 extra days there plus 3 in Barcelona on our own. I've been doing lots of reading and trying to figure out what to do worst case if one or both of us have a positive test. I had read that Spain was fairly flexible about quarantine so was glad to read of your experience. Our hotel in Barcelona has a kitchenette so it would be easy to avoid indoor dining and Barcelona has so many wonderful outdoor sights.

I'm interested in how you get your documentation to return home (or a negative test).

Also how helpful the Rick Steve guide or company was in navigating what you needed to do.

Posted by
610 posts

I am in a different hotel than the one the tour ended in. I had planned 2 extra nights in Seville and got a cheaper place. The tour was already over when I tested. I notified the guide by email and she said she would notify the office. No additional assistance was offered, but none was requested. My guide was extremely kind and I'm sure would have helped had I needed it.

I am planning on using quickmd to get a letter clearing me to travel if I cannot get a negative test before the 10 days. I had thought to self test each day and go for a lab test when that is negative, but unfortunately I have consistently tested negative with 3 self tests, so they don't seem to be terribly accurate.

Posted by
14790 posts

What the heck???? My word! So terribly sorry this happened to you!

You are a strong woman and it sounds like you are doing well.

Posted by
8906 posts

Tamara, there was an example on the forum recently where positive test at a pharmacy was followed by a negative home test back at the hotel room. The poster went to a new pharmacy to confirm he really was positive the next day , and had a negative official test. It could be that it is not your three home tests that are off……..

Posted by
610 posts

Carol - on 5/9 i had a positive lab test and my husband's was negative. When I got back to the hotel, I took a home test and it was negative. So I decided to try for another lab test which was once again positive. The next two days, I did the home tests and they were both negative, but I had a sore throat and congestion so I just went with it. Today I woke up feeling much better, and decided to get another lab test anyway, as I had planned to do it every other day until the 10 day mark. Today it was negative! I'm not 100% what to believe, as I've now had 2 positive lab tests and 1 negative lab test with three negative home tests, but I am just going to go home while I have this window. I will keep my mask on at all times and keep my hands clean.

Posted by
5638 posts

Tamara, your posts are so helpful for all of us.
Are you now able to get a seat on a plane and begin the journey home? Was the airline helpful, did you get a reasonable plane fare?
Best wishes as you finally conclude your journey!

Posted by
2791 posts

Reminds of my sister-in-law and my niece. Both totally avoid covid working daily with patients who have it, one in a hospital one in a clinic for underserved people

Go on vacation and get it from my great niece who we think got it at mother's day out!

Glad you are doing well and are able to see the light at the end of this tunnel!

Have a safe trip!

(This is why I travel now with my office laptop and portable monitor.... At least I can go back to work!)

Posted by
610 posts

Pat - I am working with American Airlines and they were really helpful. I had to call them on the day of my positive test to split my itinerary from my husband's so he could still travel. My ticket was nonrefundable, but they put it into some kind of state so I could rebook in the future and gave me a ticket number. They warned me I would have to pay for any increase in fare. I called today to use that ticket number to book a flight for tomorrow, and they not only had a spot, but it was $69 less than the ticket I had purchased and they issued me a credit for it. They have been great!

Posted by
10649 posts

It’s possible you had virus in your nose for days. It’s possible that everyone on the tour had virus in the nose. It just depends on the quantity any given person has at any given time. In your case, there were some symptoms.

In my case, I tested positive once my fever was finished, but not while I had a fever. Again, the quantity in the nose at any given time.

The truth is that it’s circulating in Europe, and we’re living with it endemically. This becomes inconvenient when you have to test for a flight or even for a tour if you are asymptomatic. There’s a difference between having virus particles up your nose, and with being contagious due to a replicating virus in your body..

I love your attitude and hope those sandwiches were delicious.

Posted by
5638 posts

Tamara, it's nice that things are finally going your way, and that we have a positive story about an airline!