Got a Covid exposure notification two days after returning back from my cruise

[D C]

9 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

The virus changes faster than the rules which lag far behind.  And the perceptions.  Especially for cruising.    It will take a very long time for the acceptance of the new norm- that is living our lives with just another circulating respiratory virus around at certain times of the year.  But that is exactly what a highly regarded panel of experts is advising right now (see below link).   Time to say we cannot actually defeat the virus but we have plenty of tools to live with it.  And cruise with it.  But if every positive test is quarantined and isolated on board, with Omicron so infectious, cruising will in a matter of weeks be severely impacted again.

 

https://khn.org/morning-breakout/time-to-shift-covid-response-biden-advisers-argue-this-is-new-normal/

 

 

I would argue that we just go to regular normal and not new normal.  🙂

[D C]

On 1/9/2022 at 4:31 PM, Stockjock said:

As previously mentioned, went on a really fun New Year’s Eve cruise on Summit. Unfortunately, our return flight on Southwest was canceled so we had to find a hotel and spend the night. We were literally about to be on our way to the airport when I checked one last time, just to make sure our flights were not delayed, and found out that it had been canceled with very short notice.  So that’s definitely a recommendation to check often in terms of your return flights.  
 

What was tough is that I got the cancellation right as we were getting kicked off of the ship and I think we ended up being the last ones off because I was trying to find a hotel at the last moment. Eventually they turned the Wi-Fi off and so I had to sit in front of the port and make arrangements.

 

The return flight was elbow to elbow. Southwest had been canceling flights for three straight days and I think people were desperate to get any flight that they could, so there were zero unoccupied seats on this flight.

 

Two days after getting back, I got a notification from the state of California that I had been exposed to Covid. I don’t know if it happened on the ship or on the airplane.

 

I am sick right now and I do have some Covid-like symptoms, although I don’t feel too bad and my antigen tests at home have been turning up negative. I did go to my medical provider’s drive-through PCR test today just to be completely safe.  Hopefully it’s not Covid and just a cold, but we will see.

How on earth is the State of California tracking you and where you are relative to covid cases?  Surely that must have been something after you were off the ship and back in the state?

[Jeremiah1212]

10 minutes ago, D C said:

How on earth is the State of California tracking you and where you are relative to covid cases?  Surely that must have been something after you were off the ship and back in the state?

 

Apple and Google worked together to implement contact tracing using your phone beginning last year. If you've opted in and turned it on, you get notified if there is a positive case identified that you had contact with in the past 14 days. 

[D C]

Just now, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Apple and Google worked together to implement contact tracing using your phone beginning last year. If you've opted in and turned it on, you get notified if there is a positive case identified that you had contact with in the past 14 days. 

Even with this coming from the state of California?

[canderson]

20 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Of course. There is also a questionable contact tracing process being used, especially  with cabin-mates of positive people, who are being tested and 'released back into the wild' before it makes sense to do so. 

 

Whether it makes sense depends on what the objective is.  Current shipboard practices can easily be viewed as either serious overkill or completely inadequate... depending upon the objective.  As asked earlier, "Define winning".  And again, there's the rub.  I seem to recall it to have once been defined as not overrunning the ability of the medical system, in this case, shipboard, with the ability to adequately treat patients.  Wasn't that the primary objective of the CSO, too?

 

With omicron and a ship full of fully vaccinated pax (they may wish to include boosters in that definition), where are we really?

[canderson]

Duplicate

Edited January 11, 2022 by canderson

[Jeremiah1212]

8 minutes ago, D C said:

Even with this coming from the state of California?

 

Yep.

 

 

[Jeremiah1212]

9 minutes ago, canderson said:

Whether it makes sense depends on what the objective is.  Current shipboard practices can easily be viewed as either serious overkill or completely inadequate... depending upon the objective.  As asked earlier, "Define winning".  And again, there's the rub.  I seem to recall it to have once been defined as not overrunning the ability of the medical system, in this case, shipboard, with the ability to adequately treat patients.  Wasn't that the primary objective of the CSO, too?

 

With omicron and a ship full of fully vaccinated pax (they may wish to include boosters in that definition), where are we really?

 

The concerning part is the public's lack of ability to understand change. If this less-threatening variant passes but people start dropping like flies with the next one, we already know the public can't (or just won't?) change their behavior. At that point do we just throw in the towel? Rhetorical question. I obviously don't have the answer. 

[Homosassa]

48 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Apple and Google worked together to implement contact tracing using your phone beginning last year. If you've opted in and turned it on, you get notified if there is a positive case identified that you had contact with in the past 14 days. 

 

47 minutes ago, D C said:

Even with this coming from the state of California?

The contract tracing and notification through Apple and Google on the phone will only function if your home state participates.

 

It will not function  on my phone because my state, Florida (what a surprise!!), does not participate.

[D C]

33 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

The concerning part is the public's lack of ability to understand change. If this less-threatening variant passes but people start dropping like flies with the next one, we already know the public can't (or just won't?) change their behavior. At that point do we just throw in the towel? Rhetorical question. I obviously don't have the answer. 

And that goes both ways.  The risk to vaccinated people is lower than the risk from influenza, but plenty of vaccinated people still mask and/or stay home.  Yet we don't contact trace or do other things for influenza that we're doing now.   Humans really aren't good at assessing risk when it comes down to it, I guess.   https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/with-omicron-dominant-covid-19-is-now-less-than-just-the-flu/ar-AASwlof

[canderson]

13 minutes ago, D C said:

Humans really aren't good at assessing risk when it comes down to it, I guess.

^^^^^

THAT!

[wilkie]

On 1/9/2022 at 4:31 PM, Stockjock said:

As previously mentioned, went on a really fun New Year’s Eve cruise on Summit. Unfortunately, our return flight on Southwest was canceled so we had to find a hotel and spend the night. We were literally about to be on our way to the airport when I checked one last time, just to make sure our flights were not delayed, and found out that it had been canceled with very short notice.  So that’s definitely a recommendation to check often in terms of your return flights.  
 

What was tough is that I got the cancellation right as we were getting kicked off of the ship and I think we ended up being the last ones off because I was trying to find a hotel at the last moment. Eventually they turned the Wi-Fi off and so I had to sit in front of the port and make arrangements.

 

The return flight was elbow to elbow. Southwest had been canceling flights for three straight days and I think people were desperate to get any flight that they could, so there were zero unoccupied seats on this flight.

 

Two days after getting back, I got a notification from the state of California that I had been exposed to Covid. I don’t know if it happened on the ship or on the airplane.

 

I am sick right now and I do have some Covid-like symptoms, although I don’t feel too bad and my antigen tests at home have been turning up negative. I did go to my medical provider’s drive-through PCR test today just to be completely safe.  Hopefully it’s not Covid and just a cold, but we will see.
 

A couple people asked me if it was worth it and my answer was absolutely yes. I’ve been hiding on my couch for two years now and I’m not going to sit here hiding while life passes me by.  We are both fully vaccinated and boosted, so while we certainly don’t want to get Covid, if we do get it we are hopeful that it will be mild.

We’ll I have as on same cruise got tested the 9th and I was positive no notice from celebrity. 

[D C]

2 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Yep.

 

 

Ahhh... thanks.  I turned that stuff off long ago when it came out.  Less google isn't a bad thing 🙂

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, D C said:

How on earth is the State of California tracking you and where you are relative to covid cases?  Surely that must have been something after you were off the ship and back in the state?

Well don't you remember those microchips from Bill Gates that come with the vaccine doses?  They can be tracked by satellite of course.  😄

[Nancycat]

I am a nurse and have worked with Covid patients for the last 2 years, I wear an N95; when ever I am out of my house

we did cruise in December before the surge, and we had no issues on our ship and with our group of 12.

that being said I would not go now. Just to much virus around 

[Stockjock]

FWIW, I did a PCR test about a year ago.  My provider told me the results would arrive in 2-3 days, but they actually arrived in 1 day.  While most of my tests have been antigen (all negative), I decided to do PCR as well, due to some symptoms coupled with the aforementioned CA Health exposure notification.  Took the test on Sunday and as of today (Wednesday) still no results.

They did say 3-4 days for results this time, but the point is that some of these PCR tests may be backed up and shouldn't be relied upon for time-sensitive covid testing.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

FWIW, I did a PCR test about a year ago.  My provider told me the results would arrive in 2-3 days, but they actually arrived in 1 day.  While most of my tests have been antigen (all negative), I decided to do PCR as well, due to some symptoms coupled with the aforementioned CA Health exposure notification.  Took the test on Sunday and as of today (Wednesday) still no results.

They did say 3-4 days for results this time, but the point is that some of these PCR tests may be backed up and shouldn't be relied upon for time-sensitive covid testing.

 

Yeah, PCR turn-around times are insane. Last week I took a test at 9:00am on Tuesday morning and didn't have my results until 4:30pm on Friday. I took this test at work (I work on a college campus) and continued to work the whole week. Had my results on Friday been positive, I would have been exposing people for four days at work and by the time I would have been scheduled to go back to work on Monday, the 5-day quarantine period would have already been over.

[RichYak]

38 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Yeah, PCR turn-around times are insane. Last week I took a test at 9:00am on Tuesday morning and didn't have my results until 4:30pm on Friday. I took this test at work (I work on a college campus) and continued to work the whole week. Had my results on Friday been positive, I would have been exposing people for four days at work and by the time I would have been scheduled to go back to work on Monday, the 5-day quarantine period would have already been over.

Wow! At 3-4 days turnaround, it pretty much defeats the purpose of getting tested.

[JamieLogical]

8 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Wow! At 3-4 days turnaround, it pretty much defeats the purpose of getting tested.

 

Right? I know the rapid tests have their own issues, but there is no point in taking a PCR test if you can't get results in a timely fashion.

[Covepointcruiser]

They do offer quick PCR tests but they will cost you.   When we traveled to Hawaii, it was $250 each and no, insurance won’t cover it.    If you have symptoms of COVID you should be home isolating until you get the results.

[RichYak]

7 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Right? I know the rapid tests have their own issues, but there is no point in taking a PCR test if you can't get results in a timely fashion.

Last week, I had got lucky and managed to order a couple of Binax home antigen tests (non-proctored, no good for travel) on Amazon while they were in stock. I thought for sure the order would be canceled due to lack of stock, but they were delivered this weekend.

 

Issues or not, I'd rather have a rapid result than wait days for a PCR result. Glad you tested negative, FYI.

[TeeRick]

In a few weeks the PCR labs will be less overwhelmed and turn-around times will return to what they were  (24-48 hr).  Omicron is peaking now (or has already peaked) by many indications.  By Feb the home test antigen kits will become readily available again - as the hoarding (similar to toilet paper) will stop.  Lots of people on these boards have posted that they bought multiple tests "just in case".  That has happened all over the US.  So no tests available anywhere.  But the secret is to just ask one of your friends and neighbors to borrow one of their hoarded reserve if you really need one.  Mention that unlike toilet paper- these tests have an expiration date stamped on them.

[Julma]

On 1/11/2022 at 2:07 PM, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Apple and Google worked together to implement contact tracing using your phone beginning last year. If you've opted in and turned it on, you get notified if there is a positive case identified that you had contact with in the past 14 days. 

I had been totally isolating for days, didn't leave the house.  My grand-baby was having surgery, isn't vax'd and I wanted to be safer than safe in order to help out after her surgery. I received a notice from the State of Mass that I had been exposed.  What?  How?  I live in a condo in Boston and my upstairs neighbor had Covid and it picked it up. 

[Stockjock]

Looks like I did test positive, after at least 3 negative tests.  While I may have gotten it on the flights back, the notification tells me that I got the exposure 9 days ago and I was on Celebrity Summit at that time.  

So I had 3 negative in-home tests, a PCR test Sunday that hasn't come back yet, and now this.  As previously mentioned, my GF and I are fully vaccinated and boosted.

I posted these comments on social media...
 

Well congratulations to me, I have joined the coronavirus club!
 

As mentioned, I did a cruise last week and flew back from Miami. Had an amazing time and I have no regrets whatsoever. But I did start feeling a little bit under the weather I think it was Wednesday night or early Thursday with a mild cough.
 

In the subsequent days I did three at home Covid tests which all came back negative.
 

During this period, I received a notification from the California Department of Health that I had been exposed to coronavirus, and I think that means that I spent at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of somebody that reported a positive result. I know people that have this app turned off and I think you should turn it on and I have also done the reporting so that anyone that may have been around me gets a notification.  I know some who feel this is all some deep dark conspiracy to track you, but I think the notifications are a great tool, but only good if you use them properly and do the notifications yourself if you test positive.  I certainly found the information that I was exposed to be useful.
 

After a few days, I visited my medical provider this past Sunday and did a drive-through PCR Covid test because PCR tends to be more reliable than the antigen tests, which are the in-home test basically.
 

I still do not have the results of the PCR test, apparently because they are so backlogged, and I actually feel pretty good right now, so before I left the house to run some errands I decided to do one more in home test just to be safe and it came back positive.
 

I guess the good news is that I feel pretty good. This thing feels like a mild cold and on a 1 to 10 scale it is probably not much more than a 2 in terms of the severity of the symptoms. I never lost my sense of taste or smell, I never got a fever that exceeded what we would consider to be normal, all I really had was a mild cough, and very slightly scratchy throat for about one day. And a runny nose. Fortunately, my girlfriend has no symptoms but she is going to test herself again today just to be sure.
 

I think the lack of in-home tests is a major failure of government. I only have these in-home tests because my employer offers a couple of kits for free every month and I always take advantage of that. But I would guess that 99% of the population does not have an in-home test and so they are running around spreading this thing around and not even realizing it.  I think these tests should be readily available to every family and person in America. In fact, I feel good enough that I was going to run some errands today and just decided to do one last test as a precautionary measure, and the fourth one was the charm. But if I did not have the test kits at home, I would have been out there spreading it around unknowingly.
 

So again the good news is I feel pretty good.  They want me to self isolate for a few more days and then run another test and as soon as they start coming back negative then I can re-join humanity, lol.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Stockjock

[JamieLogical]

Glad you have only experienced minor symptoms. They definitely seem to vary widely from person to person. I have three office-mates (out of 7) out with COVID right now. One is feeling good, one is down for the count and even unable to work from home right now, and one is still feeling crappy and has no taste/smell, but is well enough to work from home. All three were vaccinated and boosted. Youngest is in her mid-30s and oldest is in her low 40s.