Switch health question

[larryt1976]

On the joy now using switch health proctor test with zero issues 

 

[schiff1997]

On 3/18/2022 at 9:57 PM, Fouremco said:

Proctored tests are definitely allowed, if they have FDA authorization. The Switch Health proctored tests do not.

Fouremco, can you help out with this , I continue to read about the switch Health proctored test not being FDA approved but Celebrity site says telehealth self tests Must Have Emergency use authorization from the USFDA.  I have attached references for you to look at, I do value your opinion on these boards 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, schiff1997 said:

Fouremco, can you help out with this , I continue to read about the switch Health proctored test not being FDA approved but Celebrity site says telehealth self tests Must Have Emergency use authorization from the USFDA.  I have attached references for you to look at, I do value your opinion on these boards 

SD Biosensor makes a number of different test kits, including one given an EUA by the US FDA. This is the kit referred to in the letter you have shown in your post. However, this is not the same test kit as the one sold by Switch Health and approved by Health Canada. While enjoying the Canadian EUA, the latter kit does not hold an FDA EUA.

 

On the other hand, although Celebrity and other cruiselines state that telehealth home tests must have an FDA EUA to meet their requirements, there are many posts by CC members, both on this board and others, indicating that they have used Switch Health test results with no difficulty. Moreover, I've personally not read a single post on CC by a member stating that their Switch Health test results were not accepted at check in. The focus appears limited to the date of the test and the NEGATIVE result.

 

Consequently, while not meeting the published FDA EUA requirement, the Switch Health test kit seems to be quite acceptable for all practical purposes. In the unlikely event that a passenger's result is rejected, I would think that arrangements would be made for testing at the terminal. 

[schiff1997]

11 hours ago, Fouremco said:

SD Biosensor makes a number of different test kits, including one given an EUA by the US FDA. This is the kit referred to in the letter you have shown in your post. However, this is not the same test kit as the one sold by Switch Health and approved by Health Canada. While enjoying the Canadian EUA, the latter kit does not hold an FDA EUA.

 

On the other hand, although Celebrity and other cruiselines state that telehealth home tests must have an FDA EUA to meet their requirements, there are many posts by CC members, both on this board and others, indicating that they have used Switch Health test results with no difficulty. Moreover, I've personally not read a single post on CC by a member stating that their Switch Health test results were not accepted at check in. The focus appears limited to the date of the test and the NEGATIVE result.

 

Consequently, while not meeting the published FDA EUA requirement, the Switch Health test kit seems to be quite acceptable for all practical purposes. In the unlikely event that a passenger's result is rejected, I would think that arrangements would be made for testing at the terminal. 

Thank you for your positive response .  I do have those tests so I may go ahead and try them  So much red tape .  Looking forward to the day when we can go back to  planning our vacation without so many hoops to jump through .  This time next week hopefully heading to the port 🍻

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, schiff1997 said:

Thank you for your positive response .  I do have those tests so I may go ahead and try them  So much red tape .  Looking forward to the day when we can go back to  planning our vacation without so many hoops to jump through .  This time next week hopefully heading to the port 🍻

With snow in the forecast several times over the next ten days, I can't imagine why you would want to leave us and head off on a cruise! 😇

 

 

[WorkerBee74]

Well, here's what happened this AM with our Switch Health tests.  Posted this in another thread but I know a few people were following here looking for 'real life' experience.
 

We sail Saturday on Carnival and tested this AM.  We also downloaded Verifly (which I believe only Carnival is using right now) in advance too.  Our vaccine records were accepted on Verifly a couple weeks ago and today we uploaded our Switch Health PDF, including the 'we self tested under supervision' verbage that some people seemed to be worred about.

 

Well, I am pleased to report that 4 of us did this and we all had approval within minutes - 4 green "Ready To Sail" passes - preapproved vaccination AND test records, before we even board the flight tomorrow morning.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

For the Switchhealth home test how early in the morning do they start testing ? 

with Celebrity now stating we need a test one day before getting on ship , it is screwing things up a bit 

we have a 9:45 am flight out of Toronto to FLL on Friday , cruise is Saturday

 it is a 1-1/2 drive to the airport 

Does Switch Health take appointments at 5 am ? 
It would nice to do only one test for flight and cruise 

[Fouremco]

28 minutes ago, Airbalancer said:

For the Switchhealth home test how early in the morning do they start testing ? 

with Celebrity now stating we need a test one day before getting on ship , it is screwing things up a bit 

we have a 9:45 am flight out of Toronto to FLL on Friday , cruise is Saturday

 it is a 1-1/2 drive to the airport 

Does Switch Health take appointments at 5 am ? 
It would nice to do only one test for flight and cruise 

ASMO telehealth is open 24/7.

[tottenhamfc]

23 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

ASMO telehealth is open 24/7.

Is that Switch Health?

[Fouremco]

3 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

Is that Switch Health?

Yes, ASMO is the telehealth provider for Switch Health. I should have explained that, so thanks for the question.

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, Fouremco said:

Yes, ASMO is the telehealth provider for Switch Health. I should have explained that, so thanks for the question.

Thanks for the clarification. Didnt realize it was 24/7

[tottenhamfc]

12 hours ago, tottenhamfc said:

Thanks for the clarification. Didnt realize it was 24/7

So if one was flying 15th at 8:45 am you could take the test anytime after midnight on the 14th? It seems a bit easier and less phone congestion in the early hours of the morning. 

[Fouremco]

13 hours ago, tottenhamfc said:

Thanks for the clarification. Didnt realize it was 24/7

 

13 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

So if one was flying 15th at 8:45 am you could take the test anytime after midnight on the 14th? It seems a bit easier and less phone congestion in the early hours of the morning. 

The flexibility in timing your tests is certainly one of the major benefits, along with the price for BC residents.

 

BTW, here's a link to more information on ASMO:  https://switchhealth.ca/en/support/collections/2731106

[tottenhamfc]

2 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

 

The flexibility in timing your tests is certainly one of the major benefits, along with the price for BC residents.

 

BTW, here's a link to more information on ASMO:  https://switchhealth.ca/en/support/collections/2731106

Thanks

[Ex-Airbalancer]

23 hours ago, Fouremco said:

 

The flexibility in timing your tests is certainly one of the major benefits, along with the price for BC residents.

 

BTW, here's a link to more information on ASMO:  https://switchhealth.ca/en/support/collections/2731106

If you live in a small town Ontario trying to get a test is a pain 

only Shoppers does testing for $40 , local Walmart , no testing , Costco in Oshawa and Peterborough never seen an opening for appointment 

 

[tottenhamfc]

11 minutes ago, Airbalancer said:

If you live in a small town Ontario trying to get a test is a pain 

only Shoppers does testing for $40 , local Walmart , no testing , Costco in Oshawa and Peterborough never seen an opening for appointment 

 

Order switch health if you are an Aeroplan member. 24/7 service and 40 bucks each. The only caveat is that one or more of the tests may fail so be prepared to get it done at the airport if necessary.if you are planning on multiple trips over the next year buy two kits then you are covered off.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

59 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

Order switch health if you are an Aeroplan member. 24/7 service and 40 bucks each. The only caveat is that one or more of the tests may fail so be prepared to get it done at the airport if necessary.if you are planning on multiple trips over the next year buy two kits then you are covered off.

I think I will go to Shoppers the day before to get into USA  and than go to LabDoc on 17th in FLL after we get to hotel and get tested there 

[willing292]

Onboard now and waiting for ship to sail.  Easy peasy with switch health.

[Ramjet99]

Hi All, 

 

I have a related comment / question to pre-board testing and hopefully this discussion may help other cruisers  (who may be in a similar situation).

 

The point i am going to make here is..SWITCH is the not the ONLY OPTION and there are perhaps for some travellers (from CANADA) cheaper and perhaps more SECURE options if you are willing to do a bit more work - to satisfy Cruiseline requirements departing from the USA for pre-testing, especially  if you are considering or wanting to do 'self-testing with video monitoring' - typically a cheaper and more convenient option.

 

SITUATION: 

 

I am booked on a cruise out of LA in late MAY 2022 on RCL to a few mexico ports.   I live in Vancouver, BC and am fully vaccinated and boosted.

 

For this trip, i am planning on driving across the board to Bellingham, WA and flying from there to LAX 1 day before on SUNDAY, before embarkation on the cruise on MONDAY. Because of this I don't need a covid test before entering the USA as i am crossing via land border.  

 

Now for the pre-boarding test, here's the conundrum.    The cruise departs monday 4pm, which gives me anytime SAT or SUN, or even MON to do the test (within 2 days prior).   Again, I fly in the USA on a Sunday, and the cruise leaves MONDAY 4PM (note that this will be during MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!)

 

An online video test is the probably the most convenient and the cheapest option, but I would rather do this test before I fly into the US on SUNDAY (ie I WOULD RATHER the test on Sat since i have that option), but I will be still at HOME in Canada.    

 

Here's why I would want to do the test at home rather than my destination in the USA where I will embark on my cruise:

 

*potential wifi problems - you need wifi to perform your test - or Good cell coverage...

*say I test negative - at least I am at home!

*Just gives more time and more peace of mind.

 

One would THINK that I should be able to use the VIDEO -SELF TEST I do here in Canada (rapid antigen test) to board the cruise ship that embarks in Los Angeles (I am assuming this point...the answer should be YES, with assumptions).  However, now the FDA EUA question arises for the test I use.

 

Given the tests offered in Canada are not FDA EUA approved (and this is important for self-testing via video for the cruiselines departing USA), what If I acquired an FDA approved test from the USA and took that test in Canada before I even crossed the border?

 

MY PLAN:

 

Make a quick day trip across the border to purchase goods, including one of these ($8 USD for one) at a TARGET STORE (this test of the FLOWFLEX test...one can get these at Costco and Target etc) - THIS test is FDA EUA APPROVED:

 

https://www.target.com/p/flowflex-covid-19-antigen-home-test-1ct/-/A-84996289#lnk=sametab

 

(Note that there is some stipulation somewhere, that Canada may not allow importation of some covid tests as these are considered a medical device..but I'm ignoring this point.  I believe this FLOW FLEX TEST is HEALTH CANADA APPROVED also). 

 

I did purchase this kit before in the USA and while coming back across the LAND BORDER, I didn't actually mention that I purchased 'a covid test' when I crossed in Dec 2021.  (Oh well!)

 

Then book a video appointment with the appropriate service that supports this specific test (AZOVA is supports this test):

 

https://www.azova.com/testing/flowflex/?primary_resource_url_id=49514

 

The video appointment above can be booked by anyone and while you are anywhere.  ($20 USD just for the appointment)

 

So this is now $8 for the test (FDA EUA APPROVED) + $20 for the video monitoring = $28 USD TOTAL for a self rapid antigen test that is monitored and also approved for the cruiselines departing from the USA.

 

One might question...how is this different that the ABBOT NOW test kits offered by the RCL or other test kits/services that they charge $70 usd for 2 tests?  These kits / services only ship to the USA, so you have to ship to  a USA address, which means you can't take an FDA EUA test until you get into the country (for international travellers, including Canadians).   

 

HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE:

 

Assumptions: 

• If the schedule works out for you
• You are driving into the USA, thus not needing a test to fly into the USA
• You want to test for embarkation prior to getting into the USA (or you take this test right before you cruised if you wanted to..but more risky timewise?)
• You want the assurance of using an FDA EUA approved test and not have to worry about 'will they deny me boarding'
• You can acquire tests ahead of time across the border from the USA (if you don't mind doing that)

Steps:

• Acquire/purchase FDA EUA self test kits yourself from the USA and import them back to Canada
• Purchase/setup/get appointment from the approved service (as per above)
• Perform test before you leave Canada for a USA port  (or if you have time, after you cross the border and before your cruise...assuming you can book an appointment that works out)

 

There ARE online services now in Canada that do monitored video testing for travel, and you can use the PROVINCIALLY supplied tests (free), and you get a report that will allow you travel by air into the united states, but again, the FDA EUA question arises for that test is used.  Also note, most of these online video services don't support US FDA EUA approved tests (AZOVA does, most don't)

 

eg.  https://lifecenters.ca/

 

I welcome opinions and thoughts.  Has anyone tried something similar?

 

Sorry for the LONG POST!

 

[dsj22]

Yes, this is what we are doing as well. 

 

I checked with Azova they confirmed as well that the FlowFlex (ACON white box version, blue box is recalled) is  FDA EUA approved and will be accepted.

 

Azova can proctor the test if you are in Canada or the US and have many appointments with competitive pricing. Each person requires an account and minors can be added to one account.

 

The caveat is being able to find them in stock (the stores I contacted in the US have many), and if needing them prior to leaving Canada, having a convenient drive or way to ship them. Our parcel service across the border will forward them to me however I will probably drive to purchase them in person. 

 

I also prefer this scenario (vs Switch) as our family requires 4 tests and , due to the low but possible failure rate of the test kits, we can purchase 1 extra instead of the 6 kits we would need to purchase for Switch.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by dsj22

[cmich068]

A family member did the Azova proctoring with the Flowflex kit from Target for a flight to the US this week and it worked very well. Didn't make an appointment in advance, just signed up and did the session immediately - like Switch they are open 24/7.

 

The results PDF does mention both that it was performed under video observation and that the test has EUA from the FDA, which might be of particular interest to some on the board. 

 

Based on this experience I wouldn't hesitate to use Azova again in the future.

 

I had bought the Flowflex tests on an earlier trip to Buffalo before Ontario started giving rapid tests out for free and before all these Canadian proctoring services popped up, and since they expire earlier than the BTNX tests we decided to use it. I presume had I used one of those it would have said Health Canada authorized instead of FDA, etc.

Edited April 3, 2022 by cmich068

[tottenhamfc]

29 minutes ago, cmich068 said:

A family member did the Azova proctoring with the Flowflex kit from Target for a flight to the US this week and it worked very well. Didn't make an appointment in advance, just signed up and did the session immediately - like Switch they are open 24/7.

 

The results PDF does mention both that it was performed under video observation and that the test has EUA from the FDA, which might be of particular interest to some on the board. 

 

Based on this experience I wouldn't hesitate to use Azova again in the future.

 

I had bought the Flowflex tests on an earlier trip to Buffalo before Ontario started giving rapid tests out for free and before all these Canadian proctoring services popped up, and since they expire earlier than the BTNX tests we decided to use it. I presume had I used one of those it would have said Health Canada authorized instead of FDA, etc.

From another board re RCL. Apparently confirmed by RCL on two calls to different people.

 

 

 

[Fouremco]

28 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

From another board re RCL. Apparently confirmed by RCL on two calls to different people.

 

 

 

Yet another case of a cruiseline providing conflicting information. From the RCI website:

 

Telehealth Testing for Cruises Departing from U.S. Ports, Puerto Rico and Canada

 

For fully vaccinated guests as young as 5, we accept self-administered COVID-19 tests taken under live video supervision.

 

Telehealth self-tests taken at home must meet these requirements:

• Per U.S. CDC guidance, only vaccinated guests may present self-administered telehealth COVID-19 test results at the terminal to satisfy the pre-cruise testing requirement.
• The test must have Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. FDA.
• The self-test process must happen under live supervision on a video call with a telehealth representative.
• The telehealth provider must issue you a result document that includes all the necessary information.
• International guests sailing from the U.S. are able to complete their testing using telehealth test kits, providing the kit has been authorized for use by the U.S. FDA. Telehealth test kits obtained internationally that do not meet this requirement will not be accepted. International guests can arrange to have F.D.A.-approved test kits shipped to the U.S. address where they’ll be staying before their cruise and complete their test prior to departing for the cruise terminal using a U.S. PayPal address to complete the purchase.

 

 

 

 

[NWT Cruiser]

 

I have a Switch Health kit that I plan on using in my hotel room the day before heading to the cruise port. 

 

Question:  Do I need to contact Switch Health to make an appointment beforehand i.e. 

a date and time that would be suitable for me, or do I just call in and have it proctored by anyone that answers?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

[cmich068]

You just log in to ASMO when you want to do the test