OBSOLETE COVID THREAD Covid - Certificate of Recovery for Return to the US

[CaminoKentucky]

Mods, feel free of course to move this thread as you deem necessary. There has been so much discussion about the certificate of recovery but I thought it might be helpful to make a separate post about it. I spoke to a very kind and helpful Delta representative this morning who linked me to this information on the Delta website. I do appreciate so many of you reaching out with words of support and suggestions. I will have my primary care provider in the US compose my certificate of recovery a few days before I fly home. I don’t want to spend the money to do another test which may still be positive, in which case I’d need the certificate of recovery anyway.
Ultreia et suseia!

 

[ButchFeldhaus]

Mods, feel free of course to move this thread as you deem necessary. There has been so much discussion about the certificate of recovery but I thought it might be helpful to make a separate post about it. I spoke to a very kind and helpful Delta representative this morning who linked me to this information on the Delta website. I do appreciate so many of you reaching out with words of support and suggestions. I will have my primary care provider in the US compose my certificate of recovery a few days before I fly home. I don’t want to spend the money to do another test which may still be positive, in which case I’d need the certificate of recovery anyway.
Ultreia et suseia!
View attachment 127106View attachment 127107

I got stuck in Madrid after testing positive before my flight home. I used Zoomdoc.com to get a Certificate of Recovery. They were very helpful, and I Zoomed right through Delta check in.

 

[Yoyo]

@CaminoKentucky and @ButchFeldhaus, how can they provide you with a recovery certificate if you are still testing positive, or not testing at all because you fear it might still be positive?
Here in Germany (EU), you must present proof that you had a postive PCR test result no less than 28 days and no more than 90 days prior, in order to get a certificate of recovery.
Wouldn't everything else undermine the rules and regulations that are in place for a reason?

 

[peregrina2000]

The language from the Delta website comes straight from the CDC website. But what continues to be a mystery is what standards the health care provider applies to determine whether the patient qualifies for a certificate of recovery.

I have seen many non-governmental websites that say that you can get a recovery certificate 10 days after your positive test result, but I can’t find that language or any other medical requirement from the CDC. All that the CDC website tells me is that the certificate must be from a licensed health care provider (and on official letterhead), and that it must contain my name and date of birth as shown on the passport.

how can they provide you with a recovery certificate if you are still testing positive, or not testing at all because you fear it might still be positive?

I know that you do not need a negative test result to return to the US, otherwise there would be no need for a certificate of recovery alternative. My admittedly amateur understanding is that many people continue to test positive, maybe even for weeks and months, even though they are no longer contagious.

Anyone who gets a negative test result after testing positive for covid can just use that test result to travel, no need for a certificate of recovery, at least that’s how it seems to me.

 

[henrythedog]

The language from the Delta website comes straight from the CDC website. But what continues to be a mystery is what standards the health care provider applies to determine whether the patient qualifies for a certificate of recovery.

I have seen many non-governmental websites that say that you can get a recovery certificate 10 days after your positive test result, but I can’t find that language or any other medical requirement from the CDC. All that the CDC website tells me is that the certificate must be from a licensed health care provider (and on official letterhead), and that it must contain my name and date of birth as shown on the passport.



I know that you do not need a negative test result to return to the US, otherwise there would be no need for a certificate of recovery alternative. My admittedly amateur understanding is that many people continue to test positive, maybe even for weeks and months, even though they are no longer contagious.

Anyone who gets a negative test result after testing positive for covid can just use that test result to travel, no need for a certificate of recovery, at least that’s how it seems to me.

I often misunderstand; but is not a ‘certificate of recovery’ an alternative to proof of vaccination? That’s certainly how I understood some of the now outdated UK and European regulations.

 

[Kathar1na]

how can they provide you with a recovery certificate if you are still testing positive, or not testing at all because you fear it might still be positive? Here in Germany (EU) [...]

It is understandable that you are curious about this but irrelevant for travellers who wish to fly from Spain to the USA. These travellers have to present either a negative test or a letter from a doctor or health care provider that confirms that they are "fit for travel".

Note that people who fly from Spain to Germany or any other EU country don't even have to provide a negative test. They can travel on the basis of their vaccination certificate - without testing or knowing whether they have a current infection or had a recent infection or not!

The standard EU recovery certificate is valid for up to 180 days after a positive test but it is up to the health authorities in each EU country to define from which point onwards these certificates are valid. In Germany it is from 28 days onwards after a positive test, in Spain it is from 11 days onwards after a positive test. In other countries it may even be from 5 days onwards after a positive test.

The US health agency CDC issues guidelines for practitioners when and under which conditions a doctor should issue a letter of recovery. It depends on whether the person is asymptomatic or had symptoms etc etc, it is not a clear cut number of days. Also, these guidelines are for doctors in the USA. A doctor in Spain is likely to follow guidelines issued by her or his own health authority - and they would not issue a EU Digital Recovery certificate for US travellers because that would be useless for a flight to the USA, they have to issue a letter confirming that the person is "cleared to travel" instead.

 

[peregrina2000]

I often misunderstand; but is not a ‘certificate of recovery’ an alternative to proof of vaccination? That’s certainly how I understood some of the now outdated UK and European regulations.

Not for the US it isn’t. Most travelers to the US must show both vaccination evidence and either negative test or certificate of recovery. There are exemptions and exceptions for asylum seekers and other unusual categories, but for your average international traveler, you need both.

 

[peregrina2000]

The US health agency CDC issues guidelines for practitioners when and under which conditions a doctor should issue a letter of recovery.

Oh, @Kathar1na to the rescue, just as I had hoped. Can you provide a link to those requirements? They have stubbornly refused to reveal themselves to me

 

[Kathar1na]

a link to those requirements

This is what I found:
Go to page https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-safe-travel.html
Click on the link in View the Order
Search for Documentation of Recovery in the text of the Order. Footnote 6 has a link to Applicable guidance for healthcare providers and public health officials who should follow CDC guidance for clearing patients for travel to the United States.

 

[peregrina2000]

Kathar1na, you are amazing. As her helper, I will provide the specific language. Here is a screenshot of the order that includes foodnote 6 in the order about certificates of recovery.





That link in the footnote gives a lot of very general guidance to health care providers.

Healthcare Workers

COVID-19 guidance, tools, and resources for healthcare workers.

www.cdc.gov

I imagine that these guidelines were issued to help US healthcare providers decide when it is safe for people to return to work, school, etc. It is odd to me that the CDC would cede so much discretion to health care providers for purposes of getting back into the country.



Looks like a health care professional could give a clearance to someone after 5 days after symptom onset with no fever for 24 hours, or five days after positive test if the person is mild or asymptomatic. 10 days is for those with moderate illness.

But based on what people are reporting, most forum members have needed ten days from positive test?