Travel to Costa Rica and Covid

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BiggDogg

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I would like to get your thoughts or experiences on going to Costa Rica with Covid rates high in the country. We were supposed to go in March of 2020, had reservations, flights, etc. Then Covid cases started increasing and suddenly the U.S border was closed to people returning from Costa Rica. We cancelled and rescheduled for Jan 2022 and now the pandemic is heating up again in Costa Rica and, again, we are walking the tightrope of whether or not to take the chance and go. We are both fully vaccinated but and I am 79 and concerned about the 'breakthrough infections". I have been looking forward to this trip and getting some great wildlife photos but I am also realistic. We'll wait until the last minute to make our decision. I'm curious to see how some of you feel and/or what you have experienced if you have been to Costa Rica recently.
 
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It is really a dilemma. I know Steve just got back from several weeks of being there. Will be interesting to hear his feedback.
 
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The truth is, I don't think it's any worse in Costa Rica than it is here, at least not according to the CDC (we're coded the same dark red, "Do not travel" color). They do take it seriously there but there's never a guarantee. We had to cancel our last workshop this year due to a COVID outbreak within our second group. Still, I think if you exercise reasonable precautions it'll probably be fine - especially in the more remote areas we like to favor as photographers.

I think the worst part was the airport during customs - on our arrival, there were a lot of people crammed in there. However, at the time they required neither a PCR test or vaccination record. I think now they require a vaccination record, so at least there's that.

No matter how you cut it, it's not totally safe to go. Still, that can be said for going to the grocery store in here in the US as well.
 
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Can't speak to Costa Rica but we're preparing to travel to Spain in three weeks and they've been having a big spike in numbers also. We plan to go but are a good bit younger than you, neither of us have any risk factors, and have both had Covid plus are vaccinated. It all boils down to your own personal risk profile. For us we're not so worried from a health standpoint. We're more concerned about things going into a lockdown situation while we're there which ruins our trip. Or testing positive(either actual or false positive) before our flight home and getting quarantined in a hotel room over there for an extra ten days at our expense. We've come to terms with the risk and are going barring anything major happening that changes things for the worse between now and then.
 
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I think it is down to common sense wherever you are. I am fully vaccinated, in my early 60s, with no health issues. I am flying to Sri Lanka from the UK tomorrow, for a work trip. This is to assist in the final construction of a drinking water plant. It has been delayed a year and is now essential travel. Although infection rates are relatively low, I will need to isolate in a London hotel for 10 days on my return. Sri Lanka has much lower infections than the UK and India has higher still. However I could visit India without any quarantine! There is a good deal of politics involved. If I was a top golfer, footballer etc, it would be OK to travel, crazy world! The bottom line is we need to be sensible while trying to get back to semi normality.
The good news is, that I will get 4 days touring Sri Lankan national parks. I need to take as many images as possible in those 4 days to give me plenty to post process while in quarantine! (Sloth Bear being the target🤞)
 
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Steve said:
The truth is, I don't think it's any worse in Costa Rica than it is here, at least not according to the CDC (we're coded the same dark red, "Do not travel" color). They do take it seriously there but there's never a guarantee. We had to cancel our last workshop this year due to a COVID outbreak within our second group. Still, I think if you exercise reasonable precautions it'll probably be fine - especially in the more remote areas we like to favor as photographers.

I think the worst part was the airport during customs - on our arrival, there were a lot of people crammed in there. However, at the time they required neither a PCR test or vaccination record. I think now they require a vaccination record, so at least there's that.

No matter how you cut it, it's not totally safe to go. Still, that can be said for going to the grocery store in here in the US as well.
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how was return to the US? How was getting a covid test in CR? was a rapid test okay or did you need a full blown PCR test?
 
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RichF said:
how was return to the US? How was getting a covid test in CR? was a rapid test okay or did you need a full blown PCR test?
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It wasn't a problem at all. Just an antigen test is enough for the US (or at least it was, not sure if that's still the case, I think it is).
 
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I was in Steve's second group this summer in Costa Rica (outstanding trip and Steve did a great job in educating all of us, my photography definitely improved) and one of those that got a break through case of Covid. Damn glad I was vaccinated as avoided serious illness. The problem that I see is that we got a bit over confident, being vaccinated and all, that we (myself included) were not that great in wearing masks all the time. The main goal of the mask is to protect others from the wearer, less so to protect the wearer, but as so many were not wearing masks, that rotten virus was able to get to us. Less mask wearing -- more virus in the air and more open each person is get getting a chance to inhale the virus. The main precaution is to be aware of how good others are around you in wearing their masks, if everyone is good, then risk is minimized, if many are not, then your risk jumps.
 
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Steve said:
It wasn't a problem at all. Just an antigen test is enough for the US (or at least it was, not sure if that's still the case, I think it is).
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all these tests confuse me. Can you clarify.

I have had a standard (1-3 day turn around) PCR test and a rapid PCR test. are both consider PCR tests for the purposes of travel?

Does an antigen test require a blood sample/\?
 
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Also can't speak to travelling to Costa Rica, but just returned from a two week trip to Kenya (Masai Mara) and South Africa (Sabi Sands). We did a full PCR to enter Kenya, and another one to enter So. Africa, and yet another to return to US. Only time we were asked to show test results on return to US was when we were checking in with United for our return flight, after that nobody asked to see test results. My impression was Kenya and So. Africa were a bit more serious than US with mask usage requirements and such, except on the Mara, where nobody wore a mask. We were honestly not really concerned with covid at all on this trip. All travelers needed tests to fly, everyone entering the airports were scanned for fever, and quite frankly we felt pretty safe.
 
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RichF said:
all these tests confuse me. Can you clarify.

I have had a standard (1-3 day turn around) PCR test and a rapid PCR test. are both consider PCR tests for the purposes of travel?

Does an antigen test require a blood sample/\?
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PCR tests, rapid or otherwise, look for genetic material from the virus. Antigen tests look for proteins from it. PCR is generally considered more accurate, but antigen tests are faster and easier to come by. Also, last I checked suitable for re-entry into the US (of course, stuff like that chances so keep an eye out). Both are just nasal swabs. Pretty easy.
 
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Steve said:
PCR tests, rapid or otherwise, look for genetic material from the virus. Antigen tests look for proteins from it. PCR is generally considered more accurate, but antigen tests are faster and easier to come by. Also, last I checked suitable for re-entry into the US (of course, stuff like that chances so keep an eye out). Both are just nasal swabs. Pretty easy.
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Thanks
 
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Steve, as a physician (now retired) and as one who specialized in immunologic areas, let me help explain to you and the others exactly what these COVID tests are.
There are 2 types of tests:
ANTIBODY TESTS - to see if you previously were infected with Covid virus and now have antibodies to the virus present in your system.
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS - these look for "antigens" (the virus itself) to see if you currently have the virus and are capable of spreading it to others. The PCR test is the gold standard for determining if one has active Covid infection. It is a molecular test that detects genetic material of the virus using a lab technique called the polymerase chain reaction. The so called RAPID TEST looks for certain proteins that the virus has to determine if the virus is in you at the present time. Results come back more quickly than with the PCR test, but they are less reliable.
 
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NWGuy said:
I was in Steve's second group this summer in Costa Rica (outstanding trip and Steve did a great job in educating all of us, my photography definitely improved) and one of those that got a break through case of Covid. Damn glad I was vaccinated as avoided serious illness. The problem that I see is that we got a bit over confident, being vaccinated and all, that we (myself included) were not that great in wearing masks all the time. The main goal of the mask is to protect others from the wearer, less so to protect the wearer, but as so many were not wearing masks, that rotten virus was able to get to us. Less mask wearing -- more virus in the air and more open each person is get getting a chance to inhale the virus. The main precaution is to be aware of how good others are around you in wearing their masks, if everyone is good, then risk is minimized, if many are not, then your risk jumps.
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I'm scheduled to go on a Road Scholar photo trip to Costa Rica this spring. If I may ask, what happened when you were diagnosed with Covid? Did you have to stay in Costa Rica? For how long? What determined when you were OK to travel? TIA
 
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Vaccinated people are not likely to die from a Covid-19 infection but they can still suffer from the long term effects with mental and physical fatique and difficulty breathing, and that is occuring a year later. I love Costa Rica but I would not put at risk my health to travel there with time in airports and in airplanes and taxi cabs and hotel lobbies and restaurants. Most of the restaurants have only indoor seating and that is a dangerous environment to be sitting for a period of time and eating and with a face mask removed.

We were in Costa Rica in 2019 but cancelled a trip planned for 2020 as well as a trip to Ecuador. It is not safe to travel at this time anyway you look at it. I have been infected on trips by people who are sick but do not want to lose the money they paid for a trip and I have lost 1-2 days at most on a trip. With Covid-19 delta this would be a very different experience.

The only places I would feel safe to travel to at this time are New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. In these countries the people behave responsibly and wear masks and self quarantine if infected.
 
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tclune said:
I'm scheduled to go on a Road Scholar photo trip to Costa Rica this spring. If I may ask, what happened when you were diagnosed with Covid? Did you have to stay in Costa Rica? For how long? What determined when you were OK to travel? TIA
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I tested neg prior to heading back to the US, tested positive after getting back. Missed a couple more weeks of work as quarantined here. Several other people tested positive the day after I was tested and they had to stay in country for the quarantine period of 10-14 days (I forget which) then they could return to the US. Nothing is worse than being quarantined in a beautiful photogenic country and you can't get out to fill your card. I strongly suspect that the virus got unknowingly imported with the group, but was incubating, as everyone there seemed to be doing fine upon arrival. The facility staff were extremely good at wearing masks all the time. I would suggest to quarantine yourself, as best you can, for a week or two before your trip - then you know you don't have it, be vaccinated, wear your mask and demand that others around you do as well.
 
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Ductape said:
My son arrived in Barcelona yesterday. Waiting to hear from him and what the vibe is like in regards to Corona.
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Oh I can tell you that now. In Barcelona they're not to crazy about La Corona. Last time we were there they were darn near having a revolution. I'm sure covid hasn't improved things since then ;)
 
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