COVID positive, cancelling my Edge cruise, home testing is inaccurate

[jacob22]

I was scheduled on the Jan 23 cruise on the Edge but developed a fever and sore throat earlier this week. Used one of the emed home COVID tests, negative. Had PCR test that same day. Felt worse, repeated the home COVID test, making sure to get a deeper sample, still negative. The next day, my pcr test was positive. Waiting to get my official copy of the result before calling Celebrity to cancel and get refund. 

[Calgary3]

I'm so sorry this happened to you.  Hope you feel better soon and can cruise again in the near future.

 

[KKB]

A PCR is a more sensitive test than a rapid test, so that certainly could be it.

BUT it could also be you simply weren't producing enough antibodies to trigger the rapid test.

I tested negative on Monday on a rapid test but positive on Wednesday...you never know.

[jacob22]

The rapid test is an antigen test, not antibody test.

 

-I appreciate all of the well wishes.

[DogLover]

In general, it seems the antigen tests miss a lot of positive cases. Not cruise related but I tested negative on an antigen test a week ago (done at a Lab, not home.) Symptoms didn't get worse (just felt like a headcold) but not better either. Since we had upcoming plans and not wanting to expose others, I went to get an express (12 hr or less) PCR test several days later and ... was positive. Our anniversary dinner for Friday January 14th at a fine dining restaurant will be rescheduled for another time 😉 

 

Since I am fully covered with 3 jabs, very minimal symptoms overall. We have a cruise in two months so I should have a healthy "dose" of antibodies! We plan to take the EMed home test prior to the sailing in March. Thankfully, dear hubby is fine but we are laying low with take away and staying home for now.

 

Hope you are on the mend very soon, @jacob22 and sorry you had to cancel.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by DogLover
Grammar correction

[Oville]

6 minutes ago, DogLover said:

In general, it seems the antigen tests miss a lot of positive cases. Not cruise related but I tested negative on an antigen test a week ago (done at a Lab, not home.) Symptoms didn't get worse (just felt like a headcold) but not better either. Since we had upcoming plans and not wanting to expose others, I went to get an express (12 hr or less) PCR test several days later and ... was positive. Our anniversary dinner for Friday January 14th at a fine dining restaurant will be rescheduled for another time 😉 

 

Since I am fully covered with 3 jabs, very minimal symptoms overall. We have a cruise in two months so I should have a healthy "dose" of antibodies! We plan to take the EMed home test prior to the sailing in March. Thankfully, dear hubby is fine but we are laying low with take away and staying home for now.

 

Hope you are on the mend very soon, @jacob22 and sorry you had to cancel.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your story and happy anniversary. 

[TeeRick]

Hope you feel better.  There is a lot of discussion out there about the pitfalls of the at-home Antigen tests with Omicron.

[Cruising89143]

Hope that you feel better soon. I recently read where a doctor tested his son who had symptoms with a rapid antigen test. Negative. Did another rapid test but this time he first swabbed the throat/tonsil area and then nasal. Positive. It seems that these tests are not great with the Omicron variant from other articles that I have read. 

[Jim_Iain]

There are false results from both tests.    My son tested positive last Saturday using an antigen test and then confirmed the next day with PCR.   His doctor ordered a PCR two days later and he tested negative so the doctored ordered another that is also negative.    The doctor thinks the first test was a false positive.    Luckily I have been testing and continue to test negative.

[FiremedicMike151]

To be honest, I think right now there's 3 groups of people in the world right now

 

1. Those who have omicron

2. Those who haven't tested yet

3. Those who tested and got a false negative

 

 

[d9704011]

Don't forget...

 

4.  Those who offer inane commentary.

[FiremedicMike151]

13 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Don't forget...

 

4.  Those who offer inane commentary.

If you were trying for irony, you succeeded.

 

[PTC DAWG]

I’m either sick or not…anyone can tell.  
 

I’m not getting multiple test to prove what I know..

[cruising in mn]

1 hour ago, FiremedicMike151 said:

To be honest, I think right now there's 3 groups of people in the world right now

 

1. Those who have omicron

2. Those who haven't tested yet

3. Those who tested and got a false negative

 

 

4. Those who test positive but have zero symptoms, and a husband who tested negative.. 

[Jeremiah1212]

That is very disappointing, but if there is an upside to it, at least you found out early and didn't spend the week in isolation onboard. 

[LB_NJ]

There tends to be a lots of false negatives with the home tests. If you the stats they don't claim to be that accurate.

[KKB]

On 1/15/2022 at 8:02 PM, jacob22 said:

The rapid test is an antigen test, not antibody test.

 

-I appreciate all of the well wishes.

"Antigens are substances that cause the body to produce an immune response – they trigger the generation of antibodies."

 

So antigens trigger antibodies.

Huh.

[mspink98]

Pre-Omicron, I took a test at Walgreens on a Thursday after traveling in August. Felt fine, but wanted to be on the safe side before I saw my elderly mother since we had flown and been around a bunch of people. Tested negative, and ended up getting retested Sunday after my husband tested positive Saturday (he lost his smell and we pretty much already knew, but he got tested anyway). The Sunday test, also at Walgreens, was positive. I assume I had the virus on Thursday, but viral load wasn't sufficient at that time to register on the test. I didn't lose my sense of smell until about Friday of the week after my test. 

 

I'm sorry you had to cancel, and hope your symptoms stay minor

[cruisequeen4ever]

Like some have said, the rapid tests require a higher viral load to show positive. Since those are not only allowed but even being encouraged now, there’s a greater risk of people going about their business on land while infected and coming onboard infected without realizing it. I too know someone who tested negative on a rapid test multiple times only to test positive via PCR. 

[ijscheer]

On 1/17/2022 at 9:18 AM, KKB said:

"Antigens are substances that cause the body to produce an immune response – they trigger the generation of antibodies."

 

So antigens trigger antibodies.

Huh.

Exactly.  And the antibodies "deactivate" the virus, so that it cannot reproduce and produce more antigens.

[chamima]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:11 AM, FiremedicMike151 said:

To be honest, I think right now there's 3 groups of people in the world right now

 

1. Those who have omicron

2. Those who haven't tested yet

3. Those who tested and got a false negative

 

 

 

38 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

Like some have said, the rapid tests require a higher viral load to show positive. Since those are not only allowed but even being encouraged now, there’s a greater risk of people going about their business on land while infected and coming onboard infected without realizing it. I too know someone who tested negative on a rapid test multiple times only to test positive via PCR. 

 

And this is why PROPER mask wearing is so important.

 

[GottaKnowWhen]

43 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

Like some have said, the rapid tests require a higher viral load to show positive. Since those are not only allowed but even being encouraged now, there’s a greater risk of people going about their business on land while infected and coming onboard infected without realizing it. I too know someone who tested negative on a rapid test multiple times only to test positive via PCR. 

I agree with chamima about the need for proper masking.

 

As I understand, from a recent Q&A with our Country Health Director, the rapid antigen test is very good at picking up those with enough viral load that they be quite contagious. The PCR is good at picking up evidence that someone has been infected, and that could have been 3 days ago or 3 weeks ago or three months ago. So a positive PCR doesn't necessarily mean that the person is contagious, a negative antigen test means not currently contagious, but of course the person being tested may be inf3cted and may show up positive in another 2-3 days. For me,  the antigen test seems like it is probably a good enough screen. But mask up just in case!

Stan

 

[SueMo]

I have an upcoming New England/Canada cruise later this year that cruises out of Quebec.  After researching I found Canada does not accept rapid antigen tests for entry.  That nixes Abbott BinaxNow.  I guess they've figured out that there are too many false negatives.