Covid Recovery certificate & positive PCR Test

[Lenaerts]

What happens when, on Test & Go Procedure, one tests positive the first day but has recovered recently from Covid.

 

It is 'normal'  to test positive some weeks after having had Covid even though you are no longer sick or contageous. Do authorities then accept a recovery certificate or treat you as all other positive cases and send you in quarantaine?

 

[Polar Bear]

They will accept a recovery certificate. It's valid from 14-90 days after the certificate is issued.

[Lenaerts]

Thanks Polar Bear! I assume you to be knowledgeable about this issue as I read some contrary information on other sources...

[Polar Bear]

https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/content/thailand-pass-faqs-2

 

[Lenaerts]

Thanks Polar Bear! That is indeed very clear and precise info on which I can rely!

 

One more thought:

 

There are two possible outcomes for this PCR Test then:

 

Negative: free to go

Positive: with the Recovery certificate: free to go

 

That effectively means that whatever the PCR test results, I will be free to go...

In other words, the PCR Test (and the Test & Go quarantine for one night) does not have any purpose...

 

Will I then not be required to take that PCR-test (and one night quarantaine hotel) at all upon submitting the recovery certificate?

 

 

 

[Polar Bear]

You still have to take the test. If you have the recovery certificate, it doesn't matter if the test is positive. Yes, that makes the test completely pointless. Yes, they still make you do it.

[superal]

18 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

You still have to take the test. If you have the recovery certificate, it doesn't matter if the test is positive. Yes, that makes the test completely pointless. Yes, they still make you do it.

Sorry guys but I do not get this cos if you test positive , it means that the virus has been detected in your body . If you still have the virus you can still infect others . It has to be black or white .

Why would you declare a previous covid infection before a Thai pcr test has been taken and has consideration been given to the airline covid rules/testing ?  Knowing the Thai stance on asymptomatic cases , where hospitalisation is often made and big bills to follow , I would be seeking clarity from your insurance company in writing especially when a farang is the subject . 

I do accept the info provided by Polar Bear but knowing some Thai interpretations on laws in Thailand , hmm . Would be good if other members who have been through the same thing could give their experience . Because of the rapid spreading globally of covid , I think this topic will have many viewings in the months to come . 

[Polar Bear]

1 minute ago, superal said:

Sorry guys but I do not get this cos if you test positive , it means that the virus has been detected in your body . If you still have the virus you can still infect others . It has to be black or white .

 

This is not the case at all. An RT-PCR test is somewhat similar to a DNA test. Post-infection, your body is a COVID graveyard, full of fragments of dead virus, so you can continue testing positive on PCR for months, long after you are no longer infectious. That's why recovery certificates are valid for at least 3 months.

[jojothai]

The rules being stated are only for entry and do not cover what happens if you test positive on arrival. Unfortunately what is being stated is not true from the rules in early January.
Whilst they may have changed, i doubt it.
People can get covid more than once and in less than three months.

The OP should have been advised that they need a specific blood test to confirm that the infection is not infectious and validate that its no problem. This was the situation in early January. 

From the information at the time, there were people who went to the hospital contracted with hotel for the PCR test and did the blood test and confirmed ok.

If you think that you get tested positive and just walk out free then be careful you are not on the wanted list. There has been enough searches headlined with Thailand looking for foreigners who checked out of the hotel after a positive PCR test.
Do not just ignore it, it may not go away. Speak to the hotel / hospital.

[Polar Bear]

24 minutes ago, jojothai said:

The OP should have been advised that they need a specific blood test to confirm that the infection is not infectious and validate that its no problem. 

 

What blood test can you have to 'prove' you are not infectious?

[superal]

36 minutes ago, jojothai said:

The rules being stated are only for entry and do not cover what happens if you test positive on arrival. Unfortunately what is being stated is not true from the rules in early January.
Whilst they may have changed, i doubt it.
People can get covid more than once and in less than three months.

The OP should have been advised that they need a specific blood test to confirm that the infection is not infectious and validate that its no problem. This was the situation in early January. 

From the information at the time, there were people who went to the hospital contracted with hotel for the PCR test and did the blood test and confirmed ok.

If you think that you get tested positive and just walk out free then be careful you are not on the wanted list. There has been enough searches headlined with Thailand looking for foreigners who checked out of the hotel after a positive PCR test.
Do not just ignore it, it may not go away. Speak to the hotel / hospital.

All in all it seems to be open to interpretation and the tourist indeed needs to be aware . Most tourists and returnees opt for the cheaper insurance which I believe does not cover asymptomatic cases . However , as I will be returning to Thailand soon I will select a policy that does cover hospitalisation in the first 14 days after arrival but it is more expensive initially but could save big time if you are deemed positive and can produce a doctors report . 

[internationalism]

With recovery you are fully covered for 90 days. 
around december for those there was antibody test from blood at airport for 3k and some 1h waiting for laboratory results. 
since then with omicron deluge they dont do antibodies. 
you can come to thailand still positive, on condition you have recovery issued minimum 14 days.

 

yes, its possible to have covid within this time (my thai nurse told me a new infection can happen within a month), probably with another variant. 
 

but the law doesnt take it into consideration. Especially not with omicron.
Some countries honour recovery certificates for longer, even up to a year (that is changing, lowering down). 
 

After booking hotel send them your recovery and ask to forward to their hospital. Insist on it during check in time, if they failed to send to hospital earlier. 
make a point, that with recovery you will walk out from hotel the next day, no matter of results. Its hotel"s negligence not to pass it promptly to hospital

[Polar Bear]

Thanks for that internationalism. Antibody tests made some sense when reinfections were rare, but they aren't much use anymore. As the gap between potential infections keeps closing, there are going to be more and more issues with it. You can already be reinfected with another variant while still testing positive on PCR from your previous infection, which makes ATK more use than PCRs now, even though they are less reliable overall.

[jojothai]

12 hours ago, internationalism said:

With recovery you are fully covered for 90 days. 
around december for those there was antibody test from blood at airport for 3k and some 1h waiting for laboratory results. 
since then with omicron deluge they dont do antibodies. 
you can come to thailand still positive, on condition you have recovery issued minimum 14 days.

 

yes, its possible to have covid within this time (my thai nurse told me a new infection can happen within a month), probably with another variant. 
 

but the law doesnt take it into consideration. Especially not with omicron.
Some countries honour recovery certificates for longer, even up to a year (that is changing, lowering down). 
 

After booking hotel send them your recovery and ask to forward to their hospital. Insist on it during check in time, if they failed to send to hospital earlier. 

The extra test was only done if you had tested positive at the hotel and recently recovered.

From reports at the time, it was done by the hospital linked to the hotel, and not at the airport.

if the OP, has the issue, and checks with the hotel / hospital we may find out what happens now.

 

If the OP is infected, your post implies that after a pcr positive they can go out and about as normal, and infect others. 

That doesnot make sense to me.

Surely the responsible thing is to do any test that is available to confirm the potentially new infection or not. Or at least isolate until ATK tests are negative.

[internationalism]

I read only one story about antibody test, and it was at the airport. That was second hand report. 
There were also cases when hospitals agreed to do the second pcr test at patient expense, after the first positive. Those hadnt got recovery certificates. But the majority of positives were not allowed any further tests, just release on day 10.

Positive pcr might turn for months. My doctor at covid ward just told me not to do any tests for 90 days and dont worry. 
Omicron passes very quickly and is mild. Possibly with the previous variants symptoms lasted long and during that time shed virus. 

[Bracken5807]

I arrived in Bangkok last night recently recovered from covid with a covid recovered certificate. As I was about to get tested I told the nurse, she scanned the certificate and told me that it would be tested slightly different. Did the swabs and 9 hours later told I could leave. I would definitely inform the nurse at the time, could save time if you do test positive

[BlueScouse]

So where to get a recovery certificate in UK? Cannot find anything on the NHS website.

[Polar Bear]

If you had an official NHS test, you can get it in the NHS App (but I don't know exactly how because I don't have it.) Otherwise, you can pay privately. I got one through Medicspot for £59, but you will need a confirmed positive test.