Covid Risk from Travel after Transplant

[Taconeo]

Hello from New Zealand , I have had a very successful kidney transplant around 20 months ago , and doing very well , no other health issues other than the need for Immuno suppressants , my dilemma is Covid Risk as I am wanting to travel soon to my step daughters wedding in the UK this year , has anyone had the Omicrom variant of Covid following kidney transplant & can share their experience with me , Many Thanks

[LisaSnow]

What you can do is get the second booster at least three weeks before the travel. Additionally, request the Evusheld if available to you, for extra protection. Don't worry about how COVID affects others because 1) it affects everyone differently , 2) your goal is to PREVENT getting it.

[Taconeo in reply to LisaSnow]

Thank you so much for your reply , I have thought about asking for an additional vaccine before I go , I’ve had 4 vaccines already , 3 primary vaccines + 1 booster but not heard of Evusheld , things are changing so rapidly , I’ll look into that , Thanks again

[LisaSnow in reply to Taconeo]

You sound like you are already doing a great job in protecting yourself. Just buy the best mask and hand sanitizer possible during the air travel and continue to be careful. I think you will be fine. Enjoy it and have fun with your family!

[wind00]

I would like to provide a slightly different perspective based on my personal experience. While I agree with the statement that Covid effects everyone differently and your job is not to get it, I would suggest that one of the other most important factors in not getting it is not travelling to places where transmission is high and protection measures are low.

I am currently traveling in the UK where the latest statistics are that Covid infections last week reached their highest levels EVER. I'm in London where it is difficult to find anyone wearing a mask anywhere, including in public transportation, grocery stores,etc. As a KTR, I am fully boosted, wore an N95 mask everywhere, washed my hands and caught Omicron 4 days after arrival (did not realize the spread level + recently eliminated safety mandates when I came).

Please include these factors in your personal risk assessment around travel. I sure wish I had done more research before heading to the UK at this moment in time and maybe waited for this ba.2 wave to pass.

[Taconeo in reply to wind00]

Thank you very much for your reply & for your on the ground experience right now , yes I did see that the Covid numbers in the UK were at the highest level currently which is not good news for my plans , safest thing is for me not to go & I swing between both going & not going , could I please ask you to share how unwell you felt , what were your symptoms & how you went about receiving treatment in London as a KTR ? Thank you again

[wind00 in reply to Taconeo]

My experience was thankfully fairly benign. I had normal cold symptoms like sinus pressure, low grade fever and fatigue for 3 days and then began to recover very quickly. I'm at day 10 and just tested negative. I got an MaB drip through the NHS system here on day 4. It was honestly very scary to get Covid this far from home (I'm American) and to try and figure out how to access the heath care system here and what my options were. Once I did they were awesome!

As mentioned here and I agree, Covid is terribly unpredictable and you can't count on anything or anyone else's experience. That said I find it helpful to hear some positive outcomes once in awhile along with all the bad ones! As another data point, my 100% healthy, vaxxed and boosted 54 year old wife got it the same day and still has it 10 days later. She's ok but far more impacted than me. Maybe the antibody treatment was the difference but there is a lot of disagreement about whether they even work with ba.2. Anyway, hope this helps.

[Taconeo in reply to wind00]

Very helpful Thank you I'm glad to hear that the symptoms weren't excessive and the treatment you received was great and yes I agree scary to get Covid away from home , being from NZ we have reciprocal healthcare in the UK on the NHS but still its a big concern , would you mind if I asked a couple more questions and then let you get on with your holiday Did you present to A&E when you needed treatment or to a GP ?

The MaB drip I'm guessing that was the antibodies ? Were you admitted for that , or could have as a outpatient ? I worry that with the outbreak being higher that ever means overun hospitals as far as accessing care , Did you have Evushield ?

I am same age as your wife and my husband is from Wales hence the family wedding , I hope you have some time left after the Covid infection to enjoy your holiday ☺

[wind00]

I'll try to answer your questions in line.I didn't go to A&E but worked thru 111 to get an appointment at the Covid Medicine Delivery Unit. There are a number of them here. I don't have GP of course, so 111 had a doc call me and walk thru everything.

I was offered Paxlovid and Somatrivab. My doctor at home recommended Somatrivab so that's what I got but there is concern it doesn't work against ba.2 Seemed to work for me though! Administration is done at the unit I mentioned which is adjacent the hospital and not very busy. Took 1.5 hours total. I have not had Evusheld since I'm 20 years plus from transplant and quite healthy.

At this point just trying to get home to be honest! Wife needs to test negative to travel which is quite challenging as you can imagine.

[Transplant2018 in reply to wind00]

I hope you both improve quickly and are able to get home soon.

I just booked my first flight since the pandemic to visit a very ill friend (nothing contagious) at her home in a few weeks. It's not an area of high transmission - at least as of today - but it is an area of the country where no one wears masks. Do you have any sense of where you were infected? Airports? Were you eating inside? Visiting inside places? Any advice on what you would have done differently?

Again, I wish you and your wife well. I know you will be greatly relieved to finally get home.

[wind00 in reply to Transplant2018]

No, I've been an avid mask wearer, outdoor diner and crowd avoider for more than two years. I did my best to continue this but I think that the unmasked crowds in airports, customs, hotel lobbies, etc. make travel different. I actually think that the biggest difference is ab.2 which is crazy contagious. Of course no one ever knows where or how they get it, I guess.

[Transplant2018 in reply to wind00]

Thanks so much. Like Toconeo, I waiver back and forth about my upcoming airline travel, although my friend's illness makes my trip time-sensitive. I have the same circular conversation in my head as I suspect many of you do: I can't stay in my house forever, I'll do some travel staying as safe as possible, but the consequences of infection could be severe (even with there Evusheld there are some breakthrough cases in which transplant patients have died), but I can't stay in my house forever.....

[horsie63 in reply to wind00]

LOL I know exactly where I got it...my husband after he went to a wedding in another state, no mask and who know the vax status of all the guests. He came home, complained of "allergies" tested pos and then I go sick 2 days later. I don't shop, rarely eat out, transmission was low here until omicron. We had had both shots and a booster. I got monoclonal antibodies that same day I tested pos but still got sick with all but the no smell/taste. I do not have a transplant...yet.

[AndrewT]

Dear Taconeo,

you are not going to 'like', my reply.... not not one 'bit',,,,, sorry.

My advice, for the Forseable Future is NOT TO TRAVEL, especially internationally. Your Lovely and, I'm quite sure, loving/ understanding Step-Daughter will still 'be there' in a year-or two.

I know that this IS 'One Heck Of An Ask', and that, she is family but because she IS FAMILY, I'm certain that she Will understand. Others may, very well, dis-agree with me on this BUT I Think Better Safe Than Sorry, really IS your best Policy/ Option.

Moden Technology can 'almost' put you There,, as it were, and you can certainly send a 'Beautiful Gift', one she can Treasure Forever.

In a few years time, when Covid is 'just' an Unpleasant Memory, you can have the BIGGEST Get Together/ Party this world has ever known!!!!!- but please 'Hang Fire', for now Taconeo.

Why not Write her a lovely Poem....Tell her just How Much you Care, How Much you Love her and How Much you WISH you could be there..... and then, Very Sadly, Don't actually Travel.

Once again I AM, Very Sorry, to say this Taconeo but Your Health, REALLY MUST, Come First,

Sending you ALL, my Love and Best Wishes

AndrewT