COVID Test Requirements

[Elexpatriado]

I just wear an N95 mask which actually protects me from the virus.....the rest of the masks just slow down transmission.... probably by half...from looking at the stats.

If I had health risks I probably wouldn't leave the house because even nurses in hazmat suits sometimes contract the virus ....with every precausion taken.

I pity the fools that are depending on the government or random individuals for their protection

Now that I think about it....working for the Post office may have saved my life.

Remember....safety depends on YOU jajajaj

Funny you should post that. Been.looking at this myself.

My friend orders them as well from amazon.Ichecked them.out in detail
Cheap Chinese knock off not NIOSH approved.

NIOSH approved N95s are in short supply and not cheap

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/n95list1.html

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html

[Elexpatriado]

Funny you should post that. Been.looking at this myself.

My friend orders them as well from amazon.Ichecked them.out in detail
Cheap Chinese knock off not NIOSH approved.

NIOSH approved N95s are in short supply and not cheap

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/n95list1.html

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html

The link Calipro posted is for the same ones my friend purchase on Amazon.


The manufacturer is Chende technology Company limited. This is not an approved NIOSH supplier.  Chen Wei safety corporation is an approved vendor.


Given that this is not an aproved vendor and has no NIOSH markings or TC aproval number, I would say it is conterfiet.


Apparently there are NIOSH approved  N95 respirators on Amazon by refutable manufacturers like 3M



Even the ones with all the markings and suposedly from the most trusted and approved manufacture can be conterfeited including labels and markings

https://www.3m.com.co/3M/es_CO/inicio/todos-los-productos-3m/~/3M-9010-Respirador-para-Part%C3%ADculas-N95-de-Doblar-Bajo-Costo-y-Durabilidad-Media/?N=5002385+8711017+3294357692&rt=rud


I have found a supplier inn Manizales who has an approed Manufacturee NITTA S.A:  model 9510.


I will buy a few and investigate, because they still could be counterfeit, even so.

[robert angel]

The link Calipro posted is for the same ones my friend purchase on Amazon.


The manufacturer is Chende technology Company limited. This is not an approved NIOSH supplier.  Chen Wei safety corporation is an approved vendor.


Given that this is not an aproved vendor and has no NIOSH markings or TC aproval number, I would say it is conterfiet.


Apparently there are NIOSH approved  N95 respirators on Amazon by refutable manufacturers like 3M



Even the ones with all the markings and suposedly from the most trusted and approved manufacture can be conterfeited including labels and markings

https://www.3m.com.co/3M/es_CO/inicio/todos-los-productos-3m/~/3M-9010-Respirador-para-Part%C3%ADculas-N95-de-Doblar-Bajo-Costo-y-Durabilidad-Media/?N=5002385+8711017+3294357692&rt=rud


I have found a supplier inn Manizales who has an approed Manufacturee NITTA S.A:  model 9510.


I will buy a few and investigate, because they still could be counterfeit, even so.

There are 328.2 million people in the USA, 12.6 million recorded as covid-19 positive.


So right now, one out of 26 people--(soon to one out of every 25) around me are at least now positive or have had it!


Vaccine or not, it won't be as long before this thing plays itself out anyway.

[Elexpatriado]

There are 328.2 million people in the USA, 12.6 million recorded as covid-19 positive.


So right now, one out of 26 people--(soon to one out of every 25) around me are at least now positive or have had it!


Vaccine or not, it won't be as long before this thing plays itself out anyway.

This number is the case rate. The case rate is substantially lower than the actual infection rate, espescially at the beginning of the epidemic when little testing was undertaken.
 The actual infection rate was 6 to 10 times higher at the beginning of the pademic , and now it is actually double.


Given that COVID IFR (Infection Fatality Rate) has now , based on best available information,  been established to be  in the range of 0.5 to 1% for the population as a whole (as compared to 0.1 to 0.2% for the common Flu), a more accurate estimation of the number of people who have been "infected" to date is to take the number of deaths and mutiply by 100 (lower limit) and 200 (upper limit)


In the case of the US, with 263.000 deaths, a better estimate of the number of people who have been ¡nfected is 26 million to 52 million .


About 15% of the population-max-still a long way to go.

If you are thinking about "Herd Immunity" (which only occurs at 60% max.) another thing to consider is current thinking is that Herd Immunity lasts 6months minimum, although if this plays out like other viruses, the second and third time would have less effect
 https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/estimating-mortality-from-covid-19

[robert angel]

This number is the case rate. The case rate is substantially lower than the actual infection rate, espescially at the beginning of the epidemic when little testing was undertaken.
 The actual infection rate was 6 to 10 times higher at the beginning of the pademic , and now it is actually double.


Given that COVID IFR (Infection Fatality Rate) has now , based on best available information,  been established to be  in the range of 0.5 to 1% for the population as a whole (as compared to 0.1 to 0.2% for the common Flu), a more accurate estimation of the number of people who have been "infected" to date is to take the number of deaths and mutiply by 100 (lower limit) and 200 (upper limit)


In the case of the US, with 263.000 deaths, a better estimate of the number of people who have been ¡nfected is 26 million to 52 million .


About 15% of the population-max-still a long way to go.

If you are thinking about "Herd Immunity" (which only occurs at 60% max.) another thing to consider is current thinking is that Herd Immunity lasts 6months minimum, although if this plays out like other viruses, the second and third time would have less effect
 https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/estimating-mortality-from-covid-19

'Excel'lent info. Even I had a mindset --thinking 25 to 1--"Oh how awful" -- not realizing that JUST includes ONLY those so "inclined" to be tested. Think a minute about the great 'unwashed masses' --the people wandering around, spreading covid-19 positive in the walmarts and bodegas of the real world. We haven't been tested, and there we were in Walmart today, buying stuff to 'hunker down and hole up.    drastically cutting grocery trips down for a couple weeks.


I had a hottie momma just about climb on my body at the grocery last week, asking me "What cologne IS that?--"Mmmm-- I'm from NYC and I KNOW good taste"--a real 'metro amazon woman' she was--- It was in the frozen food aisle, of all places. Usually safe. I told the wench: "Something my wife got for me" as having assumed who was on the other end of the line--said hottie actually tried yakking w/ my wife. If she was THAT hot, guess I'd be feeling pretty sh!tty, this being 7 days later. Funny but too close for covid-19 comfort, LOL.


I think we all need to keep 'extra curricular' activities to a minimum about now, but that woman damn near licked me!


There's a lot of regular people 30s and 40's + age wise who get this, then recover, only to experience symptoms come back off and on--seemingly indefinitely. Chronic.


You're right--it's getting hotter by the day, scary math--new viewpoint. Better to sit this out as much as possible-like we did for weeks back in March (while most did little) as this thing peaks again, Hopefully the world gets one heckuva Christmas present in a vaccine. Just hope the vaccine works in 3rd world conditions too.


There's 292,000 people in our county. For the past five days, we've been holding at 200 dead. NOV. 17 saw 883 hospitalizations, today that's at 888. 10,187 infected cases reported then, VS 10,358 today, but with each day, the total numbers ID's as infected is climbing higher each day.


And as said, that's just the ones we know about for sure. And it's a whole lot worse across most of the USA--including across remote rural states that the 1st wave largely missed.

[mambocowboy]

'Excel'lent info. Even I had a mindset --thinking 25 to 1--"Oh how awful" -- not realizing that JUST includes ONLY those so "inclined" to be tested. Think a minute about the great 'unwashed masses' --the people wandering around, spreading covid-19 positive in the walmarts and bodegas of the real world. We haven't been tested, and there we were in Walmart today, buying stuff to 'hunker down and hole up.    drastically cutting grocery trips down for a couple weeks.


I had a hottie momma just about climb on my body at the grocery last week, asking me "What cologne IS that?--"Mmmm-- I'm from NYC and I KNOW good taste"--a real 'metro amazon woman' she was--- It was in the frozen food aisle, of all places. Usually safe. I told the wench: "Something my wife got for me" as having assumed who was on the other end of the line--said hottie actually tried yakking w/ my wife. If she was THAT hot, guess I'd be feeling pretty sh!tty, this being 7 days later. Funny but too close for covid-19 comfort, LOL.


I think we all need to keep 'extra curricular' activities to a minimum about now, but that woman damn near licked me!


There's a lot of regular people 30s and 40's + age wise who get this, then recover, only to experience symptoms come back off and on--seemingly indefinitely. Chronic.


You're right--it's getting hotter by the day, scary math--new viewpoint. Better to sit this out as much as possible-like we did for weeks back in March (while most did little) as this thing peaks again, Hopefully the world gets one heckuva Christmas present in a vaccine. Just hope the vaccine works in 3rd world conditions too.


There's 292,000 people in our county. For the past five days, we've been holding at 200 dead. Oct 17 saw 883 hospitalizations, today that's at 888. 10,187 infected cases reported then, VS 10,358 today, but with each day, the total numbers ID's as infected is climbing higher each day.


And as said, that's just the ones we know about for sure. And it's a whole lot worse across most of the USA--including across remote rural states that the 1st wave largely missed.

the problems with the herd immunity argument are obviously the fatalities but also the lasting, irreversible damage covid is doing to some. Not to mention the fact that other people's access to care for other medical issues is more limited due to strain on limited health resources. This ain't the seasonal flu, no matter what the Orange Man says.

[robert angel]

A lot of us thought Sweden was onto something good and different-- but the grim reaper has been collecting there too. I bet Fosgate could tell you that it's  bit scary out in the Dakotas about now---been a while since I was thattaway, but probably about the last place I'd expect a pandemic to be raging.

[Elexpatriado]

'Excel'lent info. Even I had a mindset --thinking 25 to 1--"Oh how awful" -- not realizing that JUST includes ONLY those so "inclined" to be tested. Think a minute about the great 'unwashed masses' --the people wandering around, spreading covid-19 positive in the walmarts and bodegas of the real world. We haven't been tested, and there we were in Walmart today, buying stuff to 'hunker down and hole up.    drastically cutting grocery trips down for a couple weeks.


I had a hottie momma just about climb on my body at the grocery last week, asking me "What cologne IS that?--"Mmmm-- I'm from NYC and I KNOW good taste"--a real 'metro amazon woman' she was--- It was in the frozen food aisle, of all places. Usually safe. I told the wench: "Something my wife got for me" as having assumed who was on the other end of the line--said hottie actually tried yakking w/ my wife. If she was THAT hot, guess I'd be feeling pretty sh!tty, this being 7 days later. Funny but too close for covid-19 comfort, LOL.


I think we all need to keep 'extra curricular' activities to a minimum about now, but that woman damn near licked me!


There's a lot of regular people 30s and 40's + age wise who get this, then recover, only to experience symptoms come back off and on--seemingly indefinitely. Chronic.


You're right--it's getting hotter by the day, scary math--new viewpoint. Better to sit this out as much as possible-like we did for weeks back in March (while most did little) as this thing peaks again, Hopefully the world gets one heckuva Christmas present in a vaccine. Just hope the vaccine works in 3rd world conditions too.


There's 292,000 people in our county. For the past five days, we've been holding at 200 dead. NOV. 17 saw 883 hospitalizations, today that's at 888. 10,187 infected cases reported then, VS 10,358 today, but with each day, the total numbers ID's as infected is climbing higher each day.


And as said, that's just the ones we know about for sure. And it's a whole lot worse across most of the USA--including across remote rural states that the 1st wave largely missed.

"I had a hottie momma just about climb on my body at the grocery last week, asking me "What cologne IS that?--"Mmmm-- I'm from NYC and I KNOW good taste"--a real 'metro amazon woman' she was--- It was in the frozen food aisle, of all places. Usually safe. I told the wench: "Something my wife got for me" as having assumed who was on the other end of the line--said hottie actually tried yakking " my



Good for you.Must be hard being a studly "Chad" with all the hotties salivating over you.


Wish I had that problem , even if it was all in my "head".. But during COVID, I am really glad I am not one of you "Chad" types...I actually am quite offstandish .. a girl was  in the weight  rack I wanted to use in the gym charging her phone and yacking...so I asked her if she wanted to use it,if so , I would go somewhere else. She said "no", I told her , then give me some space so I can  work out  here and charge your phone somewhere else..she gave me a dirty look and said something under her breathe..and I said in English "I dont give a Fock what you think" and started working out


I have  a steady GF. She doesnt go outside and run around   & socialize and follows the rules.


I know guys who import strange woman from all over Colombia  and call them all "girlfriends"


I also know several guys , Colombians and foreigners who have gotten COVID from strange women, including an old f@rt in Medellin who is  in Instensive Care on O2 because he got the virus from his "girlfriend"...

[robert angel]

"I had a hottie momma just about climb on my body at the grocery last week, asking me "What cologne IS that?--"Mmmm-- I'm from NYC and I KNOW good taste"--a real 'metro amazon woman' she was--- It was in the frozen food aisle, of all places. Usually safe. I told the wench: "Something my wife got for me" as having assumed who was on the other end of the line--said hottie actually tried yakking " my



Good for you.Must be hard being a studly "Chad" with all the hotties salivating over you.


Wish I had that problem , even if it was all in my "head".. But during COVID, I am really glad I am not one of you "Chad" types...I actually am quite offstandish .. a girl was  in the weight  rack I wanted to use in the gym charging her phone and yacking...so I asked her if she wanted to use it,if so , I would go somewhere else. She said "no", I told her , then give me some space so I can  work out  here and charge your phone somewhere else..she gave me a dirty look and said something under her breathe..and I said in English "I dont give a Fock what you think" and started working out


I have  a steady GF. She doesnt go outside and run around   & socialize and follows the rules.


I know guys who import strange woman from all over Colombia  and call them all "girlfriends"


I also know several guys , Colombians and foreigners who have gotten COVID from strange women, including an old f@rt in Medellin who is  in Instensive Care on O2 because he got the virus from his "girlfriend"...

I'm glad you're current GF's happy, because for me, I gotta believe "Happy wife equals happy life" and I hope it trickles down to the GF level. Is your gal into following you to Ecuador? With mine I know where the lines are that could destroy it all--which not to cross.  To do so, that'd be 15 years of great times of not just mine--but really "our" life, all tossed up in the air, like popcorn in a flock of birds. Yeah man, love hurts.


As for that "Chad" poppycock--malarky, that manosphere mindset just seems so queer on so many levels. Even if I was left single and broke--as they say "done wrong' by a cheating wife/gf (and I would definitely leave have the 'wicked' exwife, etc), I'd still take my women one at a time, like a puzzle to solve.  Just spit the poison out, try a new drink. Taking each on their merits or as negative energy, the latter to be ignored. Not saying that having ideas--or if you prefer--"philosophies" towards women is bad, but to me painting all women with the same broad stripe is no healthier a mindset than doing it towards black people, armenians or as we all know, to those damned left handed people. It's just wasted energy from curmudgeons --from younger guys acting like crochety old men. Just neuter them of the dead weight between their legs already--seems they're acting like eunuchs anyways--the human race wouldn't thrive if that kinda crap got too far anyhow.


Maybe the genetic pool needs more chlorine...


Anyways, Happy weird Thanksgiving. Here, there and everywhere, I hope we all get something good to eat and appreciate. There's gonna be a few more empty seats than usual this year.

[robert angel]

Got shot!!

[Cali-vet]

I just returned to Colombia , no PCR test required.

[robert angel]

I just returned to Colombia , no PCR test required.

Philippines has loosened up too. Having to get tests 48 hours b4 going, and then coming back, was a hassle. We were ready to schedule testing at 2 diff places 4 the same day, to minimize chances of losing over 5K we are already on the hook for airfare. Have to stay alert because it could change. I recommend looking at longer sit times at airports for connecting flights, as we know people who've  been totally SCREWED,  being told "Sorry, your flight was canceled" -- and they're over booking flights left and right. Insurance isn't a bad idea about now either. I hate spending any extra time or money traveling but it's a total zoo out there. Now we're seeing pilots walking of--leaving people stranded, as they've just about had it with their employers. We're even flying foreign airlines because  domestic  carriers suck so badly.

[Cali-vet]

I made a trip to the US in May. The last time I went the EasyFly app was optional. Now it seems to be required.The PCR test 24 hours in advance of departure is loaded into that app. Check Mig is still required coming and going but Colombia now only requires proof of vaccination. That is checked at the airline counter in the US prior to travel to Colombia. In my case the agent asked me if I had it and I said yes briefly waving a paper at him. He didn't read it and just said ok. There was no mention of it at the Migracion kiosks in Cali. 

[robert angel]

I made a trip to the US in May. The last time I went the EasyFly app was optional. Now it seems to be required.The PCR test 24 hours in advance of departure is loaded into that app. Check Mig is still required coming and going but Colombia now only requires proof of vaccination. That is checked at the airline counter in the US prior to travel to Colombia. In my case the agent asked me if I had it and I said yes briefly waving a paper at him. He didn't read it and just said ok. There was no mention of it at the Migracion kiosks in Cali.

As of today the news is you don't need any covid test coming back into USA. Next stops NYC, France, Singapore, Philippines.  I finally get to sleep in the house that bears our name. She 100% bought it from her own earnings and paid in full.  The kids don't even respond to our calls, more and more I wonder what, besides being spoiled materially and medically, keeps me in the states.

[fathertime]

As of today the news is you don't need any covid test coming back into USA. Next stops NYC, France, Singapore, Philippines.  I finally get to sleep in the house that bears our name. She 100% bought it from her own earnings and paid in full.  The kids don't even respond to our calls, more and more I wonder what, besides being spoiled materially and medically, keeps me in the states.

thanks for bringing it up Robert  good info.
sorry your kids are so unresponsive, but  it gives you more the reason to move on. 


Fathertime!

[Calipro]

the problems with the herd immunity argument are obviously the fatalities but also the lasting, irreversible damage covid is doing to some. Not to mention the fact that other people's access to care for other medical issues is more limited due to strain on limited health resources. This ain't the seasonal flu, no matter what the Orange Man says.

Fully vaccinated and now I have had Covid twice....first time I didn't even know i had it until I got tested to fly back to the USA....the last time I couldn't taste anything for a month and had to use an inhaler to get rid of the chest congestion. I was sick for almost 2 weeks.


The problem with herd immunity (once an argument for everyone getting vaccinated) is that knew virus strains keep popping up overseas and making it's way to our shores. So herd immunity will never happen...ever. Just doesn't matter if everyone in the USA is fully vaccinated. Everyone in the world would have to be fully vaccinated for herd immunity to come about.

[Elexpatriado]

Fully vaccinated and now I have had Covid twice....first time I didn't even know i had it until I got tested to fly back to the USA....the last time I couldn't taste anything for a month and had to use an inhaler to get rid of the chest congestion. I was sick for almost 2 weeks.


The problem with herd immunity (once an argument for everyone getting vaccinated) is that knew virus strains keep popping up overseas and making it's way to our shores. So herd immunity will never happen...ever. Just doesn't matter if everyone in the USA is fully vaccinated. Everyone in the world would have to be fully vaccinated for herd immunity to come about.

I was vaxxed 3 times and I have it now, but just a mild cold.

[robert angel]

I was vaxxed 3 times and I have it now, but just a mild cold.

Wow, hope you get back to 110% soon. Crazy how we put so much stock in the vaccine being like an end all, only to see people all over, including our family get break throughs. Living on an island helps but we still go into town so maybe we'll all end up with some varient. Wish you, Calpro and don't think he got it, but Fathertime--really all the old crew here, all the best.

We walked a small part of the island after dinner. We went 4 miles without seeing a soul, catching the sunset and full moon rise. 86 degrees and 85% humidity make Colombias "eternal spring" sound great, but we're holding--actually a hotter jacuzzi awaits!

[Elexpatriado]

Wow, hope you get back to 110% soon. Crazy how we put so much stock in the vaccine being like an end all, only to see people all over, including our family get break throughs. Living on an island helps but we still go into town so maybe we'll all end up with some varient. Wish you, Calpro and don't think he got it, but Fathertime--really all the old crew here, all the best.

We walked a small part of the island after dinner. We went 4 miles without seeing a soul, catching the sunset and full moon rise. 86 degrees and 85% humidity make Colombias "eternal spring" sound great, but we're holding--actually a hotter jacuzzi awaits!

To be honest with you, that is the least of my problems  now.

Only reason it.is significant is for.reasons of " protocol" and s situation I dont want to get into  it.is.forcing me to.be in isolation.

Medically a non issue. Extremely mild.

[robert angel]

To be honest with you, that is the least of my problems  now.

Only reason it.is significant is for.reasons of " protocol" and s situation I dont want to get into  it.is.forcing me to.be in isolation.

Medically a non issue. Extremely mild.

+1--hope you survive the bureaucracy. Frickin paperwork. Whatever happened to "Badges!?--I don't NEED no stinking badges!!?"