CVS rapid antigen vs CVS rapid PCR test

[mattswiss]

I seem to not be able to book the rapid antigen test. Will the rapid PCR test be accepted by Princess? Did anybody have the rapid PCR test and had no problem with Princess?

[caribill]

Yes, they will.

 

That is what they offer when a test is needed for ongoing travel at the end of a cruise.

[Coral]

delete

Edited December 15, 2021 by Coral

[MissP22]

The Antigen rapid test is free in the Fort Myers area. I double checked the location this morning & no appointment is needed- the place was empty with 6 testing positions open at 10AM.

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic

They also have locations other than CVS. 

[gardenbunny]

Just now booked CVS on line for rapid test in Ponte Vedra FL.

 My sister lives there and we are all going on Enchanted Dec 30.  We live in Atlanta - driving to FL 12/28, staying with sister for CVS test, driving to FLL on 29th staying at hotel by port.  Board on 30th!!!

Can’t wait…..

[LACruiser88]

From Princess Web Site:

 

Guests must be tested with a SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

• Antigen tests include:
  • Rapid antigen test
  • Viral antigen test
  • Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay,
  • Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay, or
  • Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence
• NAAT include:
  • PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
  • RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
  • Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
  • Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test
  • Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test
  • Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test
  • Isothermal amplification
  • Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
  • Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

[crawford]

I don't see anywhere that the CVS rapid test (antigen) has not been accepted by Princess.

 

Does anyone know why on the confirmation from CVS that it states, "Not accepted for most travel"?

 

Thanks

[cjpj]

48 minutes ago, crawford said:

I don't see anywhere that the CVS rapid test (antigen) has not been accepted by Princess.

 

Does anyone know why on the confirmation from CVS that it states, "Not accepted for most travel"?

 

Thanks

It is generally not acceptable for international air travel.

[hllwdcruiser]

Just a little personal info - my sister had Covid over a month ago (she was fully vaccinated)and is still testing positive on the PCR tests but tests negative on rapid home antigen tests. Has anyone else had a similar experience? If that is the case, I think I am going to opt for an antigen.

My worry is that we may have had Covid but been asymptomatic and unaware and then test positive on a PCR test. Apparently the virus can test positive for up to 3 months after initial illness. 

[BridgeMates]

 

Where do I order the covid binax proctored test for Princess cruise?  

[minnesotasisu]

47 minutes ago, BridgeMates said:

 

Where do I order the covid binax proctored test for Princess cruise?  

https://store.optum.com/shop/products/abbott-binaxNOW-COVID-19-ag-at-home-test-kit-2-pack/?utm_source=carnival&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=&utm_content=2-pack&utm_campaign=travel_ready_covid_test&utm_nooverride=1

[BridgeMates]

Thank you!

[Coral]

1 hour ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Just a little personal info - my sister had Covid over a month ago (she was fully vaccinated)and is still testing positive on the PCR tests but tests negative on rapid home antigen tests. Has anyone else had a similar experience? If that is the case, I think I am going to opt for an antigen.

My worry is that we may have had Covid but been asymptomatic and unaware and then test positive on a PCR test. Apparently the virus can test positive for up to 3 months after initial illness. 

Yes. A local college here does PCR saliva tests. They are telling individuals if they test positive on their PCR tests, to wait 90 days before testing again as the PCR tests are very sensitive and will pick up the positive for a longer time period than rapid tests.

[gardenbunny]

39 minutes ago, Coral said:

Yes. A local college here does PCR saliva tests. They are telling individuals if they test positive on their PCR tests, to wait 90 days before testing again as the PCR tests are very sensitive and will pick up the positive for a longer time period than rapid tests.

How very interesting.  First time I have ever read about this little known fact.

We went to a CVS for rapid test for our Enchanted NYE cruise - obviously we were negative.

Do cruise lines that test at port and on board use rapid?  A blogger I follow frequently also found out that if you use Flonase it will caue you to test positive on rapid - happened to her twice on first Princess Alaska cruises in September.  Nurse on board told her.  They gave her PCR and tested negative.

[san diego sue]

3 hours ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Just a little personal info - my sister had Covid over a month ago (she was fully vaccinated)and is still testing positive on the PCR tests but tests negative on rapid home antigen tests. Has anyone else had a similar experience? If that is the case, I think I am going to opt for an antigen.

My worry is that we may have had Covid but been asymptomatic and unaware and then test positive on a PCR test. Apparently the virus can test positive for up to 3 months after initial illness. 

I tested positive on the CVS Rapid Antigen test two weeks ago. Had to cancel my cruise. After 8 days I took a PCR test and it was negative. I did read that after a person has Covid, sometimes the PCR test will show it in your system up to 90 days. Doesn't mean you are sick but that can mess up travel plans.I was so glad that didn't happen to me. We are cruising again in 60 days . I will take the rapid antigen test for that one.

[crawford]

4 hours ago, cjpj said:

It is generally not acceptable for international air travel.

Thanks. Pretty broad statement by CVS with no explanation.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, gardenbunny said:

How very interesting.  First time I have ever read about this little known fact.

We went to a CVS for rapid test for our Enchanted NYE cruise - obviously we were negative.

Do cruise lines that test at port and on board use rapid?  A blogger I follow frequently also found out that if you use Flonase it will caue you to test positive on rapid - happened to her twice on first Princess Alaska cruises in September.  Nurse on board told her.  They gave her PCR and tested negative.

We do saliva PCR tests where I work. They get sent to a University to process.

 

We are told to not eat, drink anything of color, use tobacco products, nasal sprays, mouthwash, gum, cough drops or lollipops within 30 minutes of testing. I know friends who have used cough drops an hour before and their saliva was red and would not have tested properly. So there definitely are variables. I would assume Flonase in nasal area plus testing there would have some problems. Don't know if there is adequate time period between using Flonase and then doing a nasal test.

[gardenbunny]

She said the steroids in Flonase are the issue.  Said 2-3 days before testing.

Side note:  just saying with all these variables, makes you wonder how many tests are really false - for either positive and negative.

[Mikel1733]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

Yes. A local college here does PCR saliva tests. They are telling individuals if they test positive on their PCR tests, to wait 90 days before testing again as the PCR tests are very sensitive and will pick up the positive for a longer time period than rapid tests.

My neighbor got Covid this past November and 7 weeks later had to go to hospital for an unrelated incident.  Hospital tested him and said he still had covid.  He had kept telling me he was over it, but just a little fatigued.  I think we will do the PCR test before flight so we know before we even leave town.

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, Mikel1733 said:

My neighbor got Covid this past November and 7 weeks later had to go to hospital for an unrelated incident.  Hospital tested him and said he still had covid.  He had kept telling me he was over it, but just a little fatigued.  I think we will do the PCR test before flight so we know before we even leave town.

I think this is why it is important to have a documented COVID positive test (with a date) if you feel sick and do have COVID. He obviously was not contagious 7 weeks later but obviously is still testing positive. I think if you have a positive COVID test result with a date - you would be treated differently, especially related to travel. Though I know several who got Delta this summer and then Omicron recently. What a nightmare. Maybe hospitals are just having to be super cautious on everything.

Edited January 30, 2022 by Coral

[Coral]

12 minutes ago, gardenbunny said:

She said the steroids in Flonase are the issue.  Said 2-3 days before testing.

Side note:  just saying with all these variables, makes you wonder how many tests are really false - for either positive and negative.

Due to where I work - I test frequently at work. I have also tested at Walgreens and at local testing sites open to the public. A lot of this information is in the information I am given - now if people read it, that is another story.

[chubbypiggy]

4 hours ago, minnesotasisu said:

https://store.optum.com/shop/products/abbott-binaxNOW-COVID-19-ag-at-home-test-kit-2-pack/?utm_source=carnival&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=&utm_content=2-pack&utm_campaign=travel_ready_covid_test&utm_nooverride=1

If I buy the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test 3-pack kit for $99.99, can my family of 3 persons each use our own cell phone to get a personal virtual visit with an eMed Certified Guide who will help us properly administer the test and the third-party verifies the result? Will each of us be provided via our own email address with the official eMed Labs report in order to board our cruise? Or each of us needs to buy our own test kit?

[fshagan]

On 1/30/2022 at 11:05 AM, gardenbunny said:

She said the steroids in Flonase are the issue.  Said 2-3 days before testing.

Side note:  just saying with all these variables, makes you wonder how many tests are really false - for either positive and negative.

 

It's actually in the package insert. At least it is for the Binax rapid tests. It's up to 2% false positive, and about double that for false negative.

[jeno]

On 1/30/2022 at 10:01 AM, minnesotasisu said:

https://store.optum.com/shop/products/abbott-binaxNOW-COVID-19-ag-at-home-test-kit-2-pack/?utm_source=carnival&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=&utm_content=2-pack&utm_campaign=travel_ready_covid_test&utm_nooverride=1

I ordered this test on January 27.  It said it would arrive Jan 29-31.  Today is February 1 and it says it hasn’t been shipped yet. Allow plenty of time. 

[jeno]

On 12/15/2021 at 5:12 PM, LACruiser88 said:

From Princess Web Site:

 

Guests must be tested with a SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

• Antigen tests include:
  • Rapid antigen test
  • Viral antigen test
  • Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay,
  • Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay, or
  • Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence
• NAAT include:
  • PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
  • RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
  • Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
  • Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test
  • Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test
  • Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test
  • Isothermal amplification
  • Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
  • Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

We are currently scheduled for the CVS PCR (Rapid Test) with results in a couple of hours.  I’m wondering if that test is one of the above.