Traveling in UK and tested positive for COVID

First of all, I hope you are well soon.

Secondly, you do not have to test negative to get home. You either need to test negative or have a certificate of recovery. You may receive a certificate of recovery 5 days after your official positive test if you are symptom free or your symptoms are decreasing.

First step: Make sure your covid test is a documented test vs. a home test you did on your own. You need a documented test (it can be a proctored home test) to start the clock ticking.
Second step: Understand the requirements of the country you are visiting. Here is the website for the UK
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/
Third step: Decide how you will get a certificate of recovery. Three main ways. 1. Contact a doctor in the host country 2. Contact your doctor in the US to see if he/she will provide one. 3. Use a telemedicine service.
Here is a link to one and the directions for using it are pasted below
https://quick.md/documentation-of-recovery/

These were the directions I received from quick.md when I wrote them to confirm an individual who was overseas could receive the documentation of recovery from them. The bold print is to highlight some key ideas. The words are a direct quote.

"Thank you for reaching out.

We can provide you with documentation of recovery. You need to present your official written positive result during your appointment. We are currently ONLY accepting COVID results via PCR, Antigen, or Rapid. PROCTORED at-home test results may be accepted if you are able to provide printed results or a soft-copy. Test must be taken within 90 days from your appointment date. Home test kits and antibody tests will not be honored.

Please check with your airline of choice and destination if this would be accepted and if there is any more information they wish to be included in the certificate to avoid any issues. As per the CDC's new guidelines, you can be seen on the 5th day after you were tested positive of the virus provided you are asymptomatic or with improving symptoms.

You can book a video appointment by creating an account here or you can log in to your QuickMD account if you have already created one, schedule an appointment by finding a time that best works for you. Choose Urgent Care as the Appointment Type, Doctor's Note as the reason. You need to use your US home address and US contact number in your account to be able to see a provider. Each person requiring the note is to create an account with QuickMD and book an appointment under their respective accounts.

Within a few hours after the consultation, the doctor will email you the document to your email address as a PDF."

Fourth Step: Continue to test every day with a home test to see if you turn negative prior to needing a certificate of recovery. If you do, then get an official test and you are good to go.

I would definitely stay in your VRBO through Friday. You are already there, you can manage meals, etc.

UK wants you to self-isolate, but it has not put you in quarantine and there is a distinction.

By Friday you will have a better idea of how things are progressing.

Hi Sandra,

I'm so sorry to hear that you have tested positive. I have not experienced this, but I have a Cotswolds trip planned for June so am very interested in others' experiences/recommendations. Are you returning to the U.S. or elsewhere? Based on the research my husband and I have done, here are my suggestions to prepare to fly into the U.S.: 1) If you haven't already, get a PCR test with written results to start the clock ticking regarding the date of your positive test; 2) line up an option for a doctor to provide you with a certificate of recovery so that you can fly home on the 6th day or later, in case you are still testing positive at that time.

In terms of your quarantine question, I would go wherever it is most comfortable and safest for you to isolate. Since the VRBO is prepaid in York and you have the rental car to get there, that may give you more space and have cooking facilities. I would not want to be stuck in a hotel for a long period of time. I have also heard of others having the person who is testing negative return home immediately so that they don't end up needing to stay longer if they test positive at a later time. I'm not sure I would personally do that but it could be an option.

Hope you are feeling better soon, and please keep us posted!

Wow, Carol now retired, I am going to bookmark your reply. Such helpful information!
Sharon

Thank you very much Carol now retired and Sharon. This information is very helpful.

I’ve reached out to quickmd because their website says you can’t get the letter until 10 days after initial test, hoping 5 days is correct. I’ll get an official test tomorrow. The test site I saw in Bath says “do not enter if you have covid symptoms” so that could be tricky. I’ll find a place in the morning.

I think we will travel to York since, as you point out Sharon, it is bigger than a hotel room and has two bathrooms.

Much thanks once again.

Sandra, what is quoted in my post was an official answer from Quick MD. Get that official test ASAP!

Carol, do you know if the Document of Recovery is available online? I'm leaving on 4/25 for Berlin and staying for a month. Hopefully I won't need it, but just in case, I talked to my medical provider and she said she would be willing to sign it if everything works out. I'd like to give it to her before I leave (or at least be able to email it to her). Thanks!

Sandra, so sorry to hear about your test results. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and uneventful and quick quarantine!

very helpful information on the certificate of recovery--In clicking on the site one of the following comes up that says there is a 10 day time frame from the first sign of testing positive not 5

The website information is a bit old. Email sent by QuickMDlast week with the 5 day period is the current and accurate information. Remember that there are two factors in play here, what it takes to get a certificate of recovery and the requirements of the country you are visiting.

I’m back home and wanted to give an update. All 4 of us got COVID. Getting the official test proved a bit more difficult than expected. The fit to fly testing place in the Bath charged an astronomical amount (£130 for a rapid test) without an appt. They also do not let anyone in if you have COVID symptoms. They directed us to Goodbody pharmacy in Bath. Goodbody sold us an at home test that is accepted by US and has to be documented by video, ~£35 per test. We got our positive test results back with certificate within about an hour after submitting.

We made appts with QuickMD for 5 days later, $75 per appt. That experience was straightforward. We had our letters allowing us to fly within an hour.

Delta read the letter, did not look at our positive tests but the letter states that a positive test should accompany the letter.

We masked on our flight home despite the lifting of that requirement, per dr’s order.

We didn’t see everything we planned and slept more than expected on our trip but we had a good time together. It was easier once we all tested positive as we didn’t have to isolate from each other.

Thanks again Carol for your help!

Glad you are home Sandra and thanks for the update. It sounds like you managed to keep an upbeat attitude and made the best of a difficult situation.

So sorry you went through this experience. Happy to hear you are home safe. My family went through a similar experience traveling internationally recently. It certainly was “no fun” dealing with all the particulars. Some of us were negative and able to come home, but several others needed to stay on until they were negative. By the time the negative folks landed, we were positive! (A vote for continued masking on planes)! We considered the “letter of recovery” route, but thankfully our positive family tested negative fairly quickly and were able to get a flight home soon after. We have fun memories of our time away, but the experience of getting covid abroad (all mild cases, thankfully) was very stressful. It has put me off “international” travel planning for awhile. We are all healthy now and back to normal life. It will be quite a story to tell over the years, I’m sure!

Sandra, I am so glad you are home and were able to get your certificates of recovery. You sharing your experiences helps others. It also confirms the value of bringing a Approved (proctored) home test with you.

Glad I could help.

Tanya, I believe that there may be a misunderstanding here? We know many people who have used Quickmd certificates to fly back to the US from Europe. I have heard the link you gave is another excellent resource.

Do you personally know someone this happened to?

Carol, Tanya is a spammer. All her posts are about that service she mentions.

So Sandra glad you are back home! I understand you got your QuickMed appointment and certificate of recovery 5 days after testing positive. Are you also saying that you were then able to board a plane and fly back to the U.S. after the 5 days?
I just want to be certain that I am understanding that one could fly home in 5 days and not 10. Everything I have read on CDC website keeps stating 10 days. If some one has a link about being able to return to the U.S. after 5 days with certificate of recovery I would appreciate it! Heading to Europe next week and want to be prepared.
Thanks!