Testing Covid positive in Italy: A True Story

Yes, he asked the Italian physician if he would write the letter. The Italian physician - who is the official physician at a Covid-quarentine hotel in Rome - said that he could not do so, that as per the regulations of the Italian Ministry of Health, my friend had to test NEGATIVE in order to fly, and that he could not write a letter allowing my friend to fly.

I know that this may all seem hard to believe. I know that what my friend kept being told is contradictory to the US govt requirements for someone to get on a plane to the US. This is also what just happened. Maybe if my friend had been more assertive and had not believed what he kept being told by Italian health personnel he could have come home much earlier.

I'm just reporting what really happened to someone I am very close to, and was in constant contact with as it was happening. I am posting here in order to help those planning trips to Italy to avoid a similar experience.

Was he retesting with a PCR test or antigen tests?

Maybe I'm missing something, but I wouldn't have expected an Italian doctor to necessarily know or care what a foreign country's entry rules are. All his movements (and the airline's) on the ground in Italy, including going to an airport, would be subject to Italian rules, wouldn't they? Did the US doctor (not licensed in Italy, I assume) actually say in writing that he was recovered, without actually examining him?

DON'T BELIEVE THE ITALIAN AUTHORITIES if you test positive and they tell you that you can't fly until you test negative

That's the Italian law, why should they tell you something different?

A letter of recovery after a monitored period of isolation (the typical has been 10 days) has been the typical method of fl Too bad he kept getting bad information, but it has been discussed on here.

One problem might have been that he tried to isolate outside the system, rather than working with the local health authorities from the first test. To be honest to stay in the hotel room, not inform staff that you are positive, then walk to the Pharmacy to periodically test...I am surprised that penalties were not more severe.

jmauldinunu - Thank you for taking the time to share your friend's story. It is very helpful to learn from others' experiences during these unusual travel times.

To briefly reply, with what I know:
He immediately informed his hotel staff re. his positive status. They were very kind and helped him order food, directed him to a nearby pharmacy for continued testing, etc. It seemed that they were following official guidelines by allowing him to self-quarantine in his hotel room. After some days (I don't know how many) they told him that he was allowed to walk around the neighborhood to "get some air."

I don't know if they were antigen tests or PCR tests, but I understand that he got the results almost immediately when he kept testing at a nearby pharmacy. As I heard from him (second-hand, now), his physician's nurse practitioner was confused by this, and said that with the rapid antigen tests used in the US, he should not still be testing positive after 21 days.

By writing a letter clearing him to fly (after seeing the documentation of his first positive test) the US doctor was following CDC guidelines (if I understand correctly) by clearing him to fly after 10 days. This is what is required by United Airlines in order to clear a passenger to fly to the US.

My friend found it somewhat bizarre that he would be cleared to travel around Italy by bus, train and taxi, and to eat in restaurants, etc., when the Italian physician - without being asked - gave him a Green Pass, but could not clear him to fly on a plane.

I'm not in any position to argue Italian law, US law, CDC guidelines, etc. I really am not reporting this in order to challenge or debate the laws or health restrictions of different nations. I'm just passing on what my friend just experienced in order to let other people (esp. US citizens) planning trips to Italy know what another person experienced after testing positive prior to a hoped-for flight to the US from Italy.

If you test positive, don't tell the Italians.

...and risk a jail sentence abroad.

There are 193 countries on earth, imagine if citizens from all of them behaved the same way, nobody could be forced to quarantine because they would all say: "I am going home and from the hotel to the Gate I am complying only with my country's law".

Thank you for sharing this-we had friends, very early during the pandemic, experience much the same, but of course, in Italy, the isolation and quarantine was quite strict. Honestly, they had not planned for this to happen-who does-meaning they did not give it a thought. As others with experience have stated on this forum, be prepared to test positive. They, too, experienced support from their hotel, and actually had a dr. come to the hotel. Of course, it was a bit more confusing early on...they were fortunate, as they both ended up testing negative and were able to fly in about 16 days. I appreciate stories like this, as well as reinforcement from others to plan in every way for plans to change, and to perhaps become very sick in another country. I hope he remains well, and that 2022 offers more for everyone.

So I'm trying to get my head around this... the US government allows you to fly even if you are positive so long as a dr says you have no symptoms????? Aren't you still infectious - particularly with Omicron...

You can still test positive for months after an infection. However you are only infectious for a certain number of days after initially testing positive. The exact number of days depends on symptoms or not, but without symptoms I believe it is considered to be 5 days. Hence, 5 days after testing positive, with no symptoms you would not be infectious to others, even if you are still testing positive so flying would be fine.

It's a shame your friend didn't just check with United from the start.
The travel/isolation requirements when you test positive for your return flight are all over the United website FAQs, Travel Ready section etc.

Here are just a few blurbs from their website in answer to the question- (and I am sure they are all on the app as well)
"What happens if I test positive before my return to US flight?"

You should self-isolate and delay your travel if you develop symptoms
of COVID-19 or you take a pre-departure test and the result is
positive. If you test positive, you must wait a minimum of 5 days from
the date you tested positive and have no symptoms of COVID-19 in order
to fly with United.

No travel for 5 days. Day 0 is the day you took the positive test, and
Day 1 is the first full day following. You may not travel until Day 6.
On Day 6 and beyond, you must be symptom-free or symptoms are
resolving (without a fever in the last 24 hours).

The CDC requires all travelers flying to or transiting through the
U.S. from international destinations, including U.S. citizens
regardless of vaccination status, to provide proof of a negative
COVID-19 test taken no more than one calendar day before departure to
the U.S. (beginning December 6, 2021) or documentation of recovery
from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 test must:

Be a viral test (NAAT or antigen) with a “negative” or “COVID-19 not
detected” result (test results marked “invalid” will not be accepted)
Be taken no more than one calendar day before departure from the first
embarkation point Show written proof of the traveler’s negative test
result and include the traveler’s name and other identifying details
matching those on the traveler’s passport or other valid form of
identification Documentation of recovery must include:

Proof of a positive test result issued at most 90 days before
departure (results must state “positive” or “detected” – tests marked
“invalid” will not be accepted) A letter from a licensed health care
provider or public health official clearing them for travel The
traveler’s name and other identifying details matching those on the
traveler’s passport or other valid form of identification

He could have flown home on day 6 if he was assymptomatic, fully vaccinated and had physician's letter of recovery and didn't even need all those extra tests
at least that's the way I read it

thanks for sharing. reminder to hustle and explore all options far and wide, in a stuck situation

Jmauldinuu - thank you for sharing the specifics of your friend’s situation. I don’t doubt you for a minute (and I remember your reaching out to the Forum for some medical suggestions when he first tested positive). Very illuminating.

I do thank you for posting your friend's ordeal.

For those reading this, in addition to being very familiar with your airline's website, also bookmark the CDC website which is the guidelines the flights to the US must use. They have stated all along that you can have a recovery certificate from a health care practitioner a certain number of days after testing positive as long as symptoms (except loss of taste or smell) have subsided.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html

My wife tested positive in January. The county Health Dept which tested her originally says you can throw off Covid debris for 3 months so you could continuosly test positive for that period. However, if you have a letter from a Health Care Provider that you have recovered after the 5 day quarantine you should be clear to fly. With fingers crossed, we shall see when we attempt to fly to Italy in March with DELTA and ITA. We are both fully vaccinated.

Thank you for sharing
A few things to be aware
-not sure an Italian dr would clear u to fly after 5 days. They are pretty strict in regards to following the rules of Italy
-new / lesser restrictions to be announced between March15-30
-average infectious time omicron is 8-10 days

I travel soon and it does make me nervous if testing positive in Rome on way home. The Covid hotel is not nice apparently ( although free)
I think I would try to find an Airbnb , lay low for 11 days with hopefully a nice balcony. Lol

teacher and others:
I emailed my friend the United requirements and the CDC guidelines soon after his original first test, and talked with him about those guidelines on the phone. However, he was very confused because all of the Italians in his orbit, starting with the hotel personnel, then multiple pharmacists down the street (where he went for a follow-up COVID test after 7 days, then every 3-4 days thereafter) then the health personnel at the clinic at the airport, and finally the physician at the COVID quarantine hotel ALL told him that Italian law prevented him from flying. He was confused, worried, and anxious and didn't want to break Italian law.

This is all to say (and after I spoke with him again yesterday): If he had it do over, he would go prepared with multiple proctored-on-line COVID tests and with some backup rapid tests; would self-test before (hopefully) departing Italy but would not go to an Italian pharmacy or clinic for testing; would again obey all Italian laws re. quarantining (staying in his hotel room), BUT would also follow US and airline guidelines re. when he would be allowed to fly. He was also glad to have regular contact with his physician and nurse practitioner back home. The letter from them plus his original positive test results following a period of quarantine were what allowed him to fly home. What finally demonstrated for him the absurdity of trying to follow multiple nations' conflicting rules was when he was given an Italian Green Pass - including a link for it sent to his phone - so he could travel all over Italy and much of Europe by train/bus, but was still told that he was not allowed to fly home.