Testing positive in Italy

It doesn’t need to be PCR
There are several threads addressing this issue

You need to check with your airlines and see what they require

See posts in this forum
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/covid19

You should not need a second test with a documented positive test and a certificate of recovery. You should still check with your airline to see if they have additional requirements.

Sorry to hear that, I was planning on using the below link (if I tested positive) to get certificate of recovery, you just need official test dated 5 days out to submit to them before virtual visit.

https://quick.md/documentation-of-recovery/

You need to be asymptomatic as well, dont you? Everyone seems to take that as a given.

Thank you everyone. I think
I have clarified what needs to be done. I am
following Italian guidelines and will seek a recovery letter at the appropriate time.

Camille, sorry to hear about your situation but it sounds like you are handling it very well. If you don't mind me asking what airline are you flying? We will be flying United in a few weeks and I believe they require either 10 or eleven days after testing positive before allowing return. Hope you are both feeling ok. You didn't mention any symptoms so I'm assuming you were surprised by the test result. Hope you can take some comfort in not feeling sick.

Hi Camille, So sorry to hear that! We are flying United and I called them. They told me we would have to wait 10 days after testing positive and get a certificate of recovery. I was told we did not have to provide a negative COVID test, only the certificate of recovery.

Others have said that it would be best to do a home proctored test because -- and I don't know if this is really the case -- some folks have been stuck in Italy because the Italian government rules are different from your airline rules. Would love it if you could share your experience with the Italian government and whether you had to quarantine additional days beyond the 10 days if, in fact, their rules are different.

Yes, we are following Italian guidelines. We can travel 10 days after testing positive with a letter of recovery. We are supposed to fly Aer Lingus from Dublin to EWR in NJ. However, we may switch to United from Rome to EWR to avoid flying back to Dublin.
We have trip insurance that includes Covid coverage. I’ll be calling them later to see if they will reimburse for that fare. May end up
Paying it out of pocket to get home sooner.
We are fortunate in that our symptoms are mild.

I also hope you are on the mend. Probably an adventure you could live without. So brave! We are two senior citizens leaving next Tuesday for 11 days in Rome. We are fully vaxed & boosted. We have trip insurance. I have already confirmed with our medical group that it will issue a letter of recovery if we need it. How many tests should we bring? I know this sounds like an absurd question, but what do you think about opening the individual test boxes (but not the sealed testing equipment) and storing them in clear plastic bags which should take up less space? All advice welcome.

Eam, if they are the official proctored tests you take online with someone watching you, you are not supposed to open the boxes until that moment. That person has to see you physically open the boxes.

If they are the non-proctored ones you want to bring along just for reassurance, I've read from others who have written similar inquiries to the manufacturer of the BinaxNow tests, and they were told not to do this as the tests could be "damaged." What are the actual odds of that, I don't know. But that is apparently what they will tell you.

@camille:
I asked a similar question about the Italian isolation rules for peolpe tested positive there. You can read the last 11 threads here:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/covid19/quarantine-after-positive-test#bottom

My understanding is Italy has its own stricter isolation rules! Italy requires individuals who test positive in Italy to self-isolate between 7-21 days, depending on the specifics of the case ( https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/coronavirus )
* Fully vaccinated person (within the last 120 days) : 7 days isolation
* To be released from self-isolation : must produce negative test and symptom-free for at least 3 days
* If continue to test positive ^^ : may be released from self-isolation after 21 days; symptom-free for at least 7 days

It's known that some people continue to test positive even after full recovery; which is why CDC accepts 'Letter of Recovery' for these people to return to the US. But it doesn't mean one can skip the quarantine rule in the host country where they tested positive and just fly home with the letter. For people who fit into the last category ^^ (i.e. continue to test positive after recovery); according to the Italian Covid isolation rules they won't be released from isolation until either test negative or after 21 days (whichever happens first).

In summary:
These people who continue to test positive will still need the 'Letter of Recovery' to fly back to the US; but they won't be able to do so until after they are qualified to be released from isolation. The letter of recovery is not a 'get out of jail (isolation) free card' so to speak.

I just got back from month in Italy/France my strategy was to use the cheap antigen tests Biden sent us and test myself 10-6 days out from return flight so I could qualify for recovery document and not miss my original flight. Luckily? or Unluckily? I tested negative so I had no choice but to wait until day before to take official test. The longest 15 minutes of my life.

James: Thank you for that info. We're pulling out a larger suitcase. Such is life....

Camille, so sorry about your positive test & hope you're on your way soon!

My family & I are going to Italy in July and I'm wondering - once you involve an official to get your signed positive test, do they notify the Italian Health Ministry? How is your quarantine 'monitored' from that point onward?

If one (or more) of us tests positive & we want to take advantage of our travel insurance coverage, we'll need to provide that test result certified by a local doctor or health official. But it seems getting that official test could set off a chain of events that leads to a much longer quarantine - which could make using the insurance more costly, if the quarantine lasts 21 days instead of 7.

Ugh, the mental gymnastics!

We are scheduled for a 43-day trip to Italy this fall and I'm getting a bit concerned about COVID restrictions. What exactly does a 21-day period of isolation mean and how does a person arrange this? Are you confined to a hotel room? Do you have meals delivered to your room?

@Jim:
21 days is only if one continues to test positive for that period of time. Just realized the link in my earlier comment had an typo error; click the link below about Italy travel advice and isolation policy:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/coronavirus

Jim, I don’t know how exactly it’s monitored but I believe if you stay in a government-run COVID hotel, someone checks to make sure you are quarantining band brings you food. Have heard horrible things about these “quarantine” hotels so if we test positive with our proctored at home Covid test kits, I will scramble to find our own hotel or Airbnb.

Camille - sorry to hear about your experience. We are leaving in 2 weeks for a short trip to Italy. How long was your trip? I have family on a trip to Turkey and as part of their tour they test each day… some on the tour tested positive the 2nd and 3rd day and the conclusion was that they had Covid before traveling. Do you think you got it in Italy or potentially brought it with you?

We bought trip insurance the other week to cover additional hotel and flight changes… Berkshire Hathaway. What accommodations did you all secure for your additional time?

I hope the next week is as stress free as possible for you