Just after Thanksgiving my husband and I took a wonderful trip to visit family and grandchildren in Geneva, Switzerland. The 18-day trip got a little longer (24 days) when we discovered our son-in-law had covid19 on day 10.
I’m going to share the lessons I learned on the covid quarantine journey and hope it makes things a little easier for anyone else.
Our son-in-law isolated in their bedroom and the rest of us hung out and played. The two grandchildren had to stay home from school because they were exposed but we didn’t think they had it.
First lesson: We should have tested everyone the day he went into isolation because four days later we decided to test the kids and discovered our four-year-old granddaughter had it. We tested my husband the next day and he was positive too! Probably because he was the constant companion to our granddaughter.
I tested and didn’t have it (thank you Pfizer booster). And my daughter didn’t have it (she had it in October).
First, just to let you know, because all the adults were vaccinated, the symptoms were very mild. My husband had sniffles and sinus pressure and lost his ability to smell for a few days. The children also had very mild cold like symptoms.
However, there were many other symptoms from what I would call high anxiety. Stomach aches, headaches, pain throughout my body, trouble sleeping. I was consumed with worry over what we should do next. Since I didn’t have it, I went into high alert, hyper vigilante about masking and washing hands etc. Always on my mind were questions like: Would one of us get terribly sick? Would I get it later and extend the isolation requirements?
This is when all of my body consciousness tools kicked in and I used guided meditation and especially my trusty little phone app ALLEZ UP! We focused on accepting the circumstances we couldn’t change and enjoying our monk’s retreat in the hotel.
Second lesson: If you think you have covid19, get officially tested as soon as possible. That means a hospital or certified medical testing site. You won’t be able to fly home until you have completed the quarantine period.In December 2021 that was ten days from the positive test (they will give you two days credit if you had symptoms before the test). Check CDC for the most current quarantine length of time. (see link below).
Third lesson: If you have covid you will probably have a positive test for up to 90 days. So you will need a signed letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.” See more info below in red.
The airlines do not make it easy to submit this. So you will have to show up at the airport with these documents in hand in order to get your boarding pass. Even with the documents I did have to argue with the agent at check-in, showing them the CDC guidelines (see below) and repeating myself many times.
Fourth Lesson: If you don’t have covid you must test no earlier that 24 hours before your flight. Before you leave the US make sure you have the officially approved home test kit with video confirmation feature. You will need to have internet service and a smart phone or computer. Otherwise you will be searching for someplace to give you the test (good luck with that).
Fifth Lesson: You cannot stay at an Airbnb if you have covid19. I checked us in to a hotel with a kitchenette (microwave and ample minifridge and coffee maker). We had to present ID and vaccine proof but that was all.
Sixth Lesson: With a good grocery store you can have a very pleasant dining experience in your room for the quarantine period. (See the menu and shopping list below.) You can also order in from area restaurants. Our hotel had closed down the restaurant because of covid so room service wasn’t possible.
Seventh Lesson: It is wise to have a contingency plan for your trip being extended up to 10 days for quarantine. Take enough of your regular medications for 10 days. Have someone at home who can continue to water plants and take in mail for 10 more days. Get a hotel that can do laundry. Buy an airline ticket that does not have a penalty for rebooking. Take a small package of cold medications for possible symptoms.
Eighth Lesson: It really helps to have friends or family nearby (who do not have covid) to help you get around to testing sites and to shop and get all the kitchen equipment you need. Deep gratitude to my daughter for all she did to support us as the same time she was working and taking care of her own family.
In the end we spent six extra days in Geneva. Our last day, free from quarantine, we had a lovely early Christmas celebration and family dinner. The trip home was effortless.
Further Resources
What You Need to Know
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html
- If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.
- If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).
- Trip Advisor wording for the letter:
Home test kits that are approved: https://www.emed.com/airline-travel
United, American and Delta have partnered with emed.com to coordinate Covid viral testing before your flight home.
- Book your round-trip flight.
- Order COVID-19 Antigen rapid tests on eMed.com.
- Tests are shipped to your U.S. address (or local pick-up location).
- Create a digital health pass account, download the app, and pack two (2) tests per person in your carry-on bag before leaving the U.S.
- 24 hours before returning to the U.S., start your test session.
- Receive an eMed Lab Report with your test result. (optional test result available in the NAVICA™ app.)
- If negative, share your eMed Lab Report test result to board the return flight.
- Return to U.S.
But wait a minute what if you have tested positive???!
These are the CDC guidelines
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html
People who have recovered from COVID-19 can continue to test positive for up to 3 months after their infection. CDC does not recommend retesting within 3 months after a person with COVID-19 first developed symptoms of COVID-19 (or the date their sample was taken for their first positive viral diagnostic test if their infection was asymptomatic).
If you have had a positive viral test on a sample taken during the past 90 days, and you have met the criteria to end isolation, you may travel instead with your positive viral test results and a signed letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.”
A letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that clears you to end isolation, e.g., to return to work or school, can be used to show you are cleared to travel, even if travel isn’t specifically mentioned in the letter. The letter must have information that identifies you personally (e.g., name and date of birth) that matches the personal identifiers on your passport or other travel documents. The letter must be signed and dated on official letterhead that contains the name, address, and phone number of the healthcare provider or public health official who signed the letter.
If you have recovered from COVID-19 but are not able to obtain documentation of recovery that fulfills the requirements, you will need to show a negative COVID-19 viral test result from a sample taken no more than 1 day before your flight to the US departs.
Even if you have recovered from COVID-19, if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 you should isolate, not travel, and consult with a healthcare provider for testing recommendations.
Under Frequently asked questions you can read:
Does a self-test meet the requirements?
You can use a self-test (sometimes referred to as home test) that meets the following criteria:
- The test must be a SARS-CoV-2 viral test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen test) with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) OR the relevant national authority where the test is administered.
- The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. Some FDA-authorized self-tests that include a telehealth service may require a prescription.
- The telehealth provider must confirm your identity, observe the sample collection and testing procedures, confirm the test result, and issue a report that meets the requirements of CDC’s Order (see “What information must be included in the test result?” below).
- Airlines and other aircraft operators must be able to review and confirm your identity and the test result details. You must also be able to present the documentation of test results to U.S. officials at the port of entry and local/state health departments, if requested.
Some countries may restrict importation of tests that are not authorized or registered there. If you are considering bringing a U.S.-authorized test with you for use outside of the United States, contact authorities at your destination for information before you travel.
New CDC guidelines
The C.D.C. recommends that even vaccinated people wear masks in settings where Covid-19 may spread more easily, including schools, healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, transportation hubs and on all forms of public transportation.
If you feel sick, you should stay home and get tested. The C.D.C. says that people who test positive should stay home for five days. If your symptoms are resolving after those five days and you no longer have a fever, you can leave your home, but you should still wear a mask around others for another five days.
If you were in close contact with someone infected with the virus, you should get tested five days after exposure if possible and wear a mask around other people for 10 days. You should also stay home for five days directly after exposure if you have not yet received a booster shot and you were fully vaccinated more than six months ago with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series or vaccinated more than two months ago with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
If you or someone in your household is older or has other risk factors for severe Covid-19, you may choose to wear a mask in public indoor spaces even when Covid transmission in your area is low. You may also consider upgrading to a close-fitting mask with good filtration, or wearing two close-fitting cloth masks. Regular handwashing also helps prevent the spread of Covid .
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/just-tested-positive-covid-s-rcna9540
Getting Covid Certificat in Switzerland
task.smc@etat.ge.ch
Le Service du médecin cantonal
RÉPUBLIQUE ET CANTON DE GENÈVE
Département de la sécurité, de la population et de la santé (DSPS)
Direction générale de la santé
Service du Médecin cantonal
Rue Adrien-Lachenal, 8
1207 Genève
Prepared food Shopping list
Baked Chicken (3 dinners) Salami and cured sausages
Quiche (2 dinners) Granola
Sushi (first dinner) Tea and coffee
Spinach pastry chocolate
Croissants Butter
Boxed soup (2 meals) Bread
Bag lettuce and veg for salad Salad dressing
Veges to microwave Fruit
Cheese Paper towels
(get the rest from family or friend if possible)
Dish soap and tea towel,
Sharp knife
Cutting board surface
