I’m not afraid to say I’ve been. My test was negative.
Post if you don’t mind telling.
Our health staff is not even testing anyone who might have it, because the local labs are ONLY running tests on the high risk folks who are hospitalized, due to the urgency about getting them diagnosed. There’s no treatment specific for corona virus anyway so it doesn’t matter much whether Joe Schmoe with a fever of 102 and a cough, but who’s getting over it, is diagnosed one way or the other. If poor old Joe goes into respiratory failure, then he’ll get tested for it, and hopefully he’ll get put on a vent, if there are any available. I can live with that, and so can my patients.
We’re not seeing any suspect cases in my institution anyway, all 1300 inmates are thus far not coughing much or having significant fevers right now.
I hope the lack of cases continues QtM. Have they stopped visitations? Will they just lock everyone in their cells if the virus shows up? I have to say that I wonder if it would make more sense to lock everyone down now, before it’s been passed around for a few weeks.
I hope the lack of cases continues QtM. Have they stopped visitations? Will they just lock everyone in their cells if the virus shows up? I have to say that I wonder if it would make more sense to lock everyone down now, before it’s been passed around for a few weeks.
Small rural hospital. Last Saturday we had 14 tests available till Monday. Very difficult trying to keep possible cases out of the lobby despite extensive news coverage. Had to close the lobby 3 times in 12 hours. We are attempting to keep possible cases outside and test (vitals) them in their car. The weather was not helping. 22 f and 20+ mph winds. Instruments would quit working. Was better Sunday.
As far as I know, the local large labs (LabCorp and Quest) have the ability to do tests (ie have the test kits) but there is nowhere to get the samples taken. It’s not as easy as they make it seem, just “get enough test kits” and you can be tested. I have the ability to obtain the necessary swabs and transport media (in fact I know I at least have the media in the office) but I can’t get the protective equipment recommended for testers (impervious gowns and masks with face shield). More important, even though the swabs can be refrigerated up to 3 days, the local lab will only take them frozen. I would have to invest in a freezer and daily dry ice shipments in case I needed to do a test. There is nowhere to send people for testing. The local hospitals are only going with the strictest CDC recommendations which require both symptoms and known contact or known travel to a high risk area. I have no idea why they are not using the local labs. The biggest hospital in the area just sent out a notice that they would NOT be creating a designated testing area. I had patient who really should have been tested (fever, cough and recent travel). I told her to quarantine and call me if the symptoms worsened. She got worse and went to the ER where they determined she was at risk and told her to see me to be tested. I begged them to test her while she was in the ER. They finally agreed pending the results of flu tests and a viral panel. One of the viral tests came up positive which was a relief but the ER would not test her and she now does not meet CDC criteria. Her work will not allow her back without a negative test so they have sent her back to me. I had to argue with them that we knew what she has, which is NOT Covid-19. However, if the viral panel had been negative, I just hope the ER would agree to test her, otherwise, I don’t know what to do. We need independent/drive in testing stations. I’m happy to triage and write the referrals, I’m just caught in the middle here. I had literally hours of patient phone calls yesterday, trying to reassure patients and tell them what warranted an ER visit.
No. Because:
[ul]
[li] We’re not symptomatic even though we may have been exposed to international crowds three weeks ago.[/li][li] Even if we had symptoms, we’d need snowplows to get out to the highway to catch a bus to the hospital.[/li][li] Even if we could reach the nearest hospital, they still lack test kits for all but the most severe patients.[/li][li] Even if we tested positive but showed not complications, we’d be where we are, mostly isolated as usual.[/li][/ul]
Still no cases reported within our little county, but some nearby. We’ll be tested when it’s feasible. MrsRico likely won’t let me go shopping by myself till I test negative. Darn.
We are waiting for test results on my son-in-law; expect to hear in a couple days. He was overseas and has mild symptoms. He’s seen no one outside the family since he got home. I’m the only “vulnerable” (old) person who’s been exposed and so far I have no symptoms. The family is isolated - 4 adults, and 2 young ones. We are blessed in being able to work from home. No confirmed cases anywhere in our county.
I’m asymptomatic but 49 and diabetes. No symptoms, but I’ve been told I’ll need symptoms to be tested in San Fernando Valley.
I’m afraid to go near testing places without any symptoms. So, I’ll just suck down fireball and vitamins for a couple weeks. I seriously doubt when any bans will be lifted. They could be limited next month or total lockdown next week. Who knows.
I was tested due to a travel related risk and close contact with a family member who has since developed respiratory symptoms. Since I’m feeling well I didn’t formally meet testing criteria but I was scheduled to start a string of night shifts in the Emergency Department. TPTB decided that testing me and having someone else work my shift last night was better than risking a situation where they have to track every patient I saw and every staff member I worked with if I developed symptoms later.
I drove my wife an hour away to get tested at a Kaiser drive-through testing center. They didn’t test me or our son separately. A positive result will be a phone call, negative will be by text or something. Results supposedly by Monday.
I spoke with the folks at the clinic, they ran me through a questionnaire. I did not meet the criteria to get tested.
Let’s see. The governor has declared a state of emergency. There are confirmed cases in my county. I have had the cough for 5 days now, though the chills seem to have subsided. When do I Ever have a cough for 5 days? Especially with taking 2 naps a day and permanent happy hour. Shit, when do I take 2 naps a day? Never, that’s when. Never a cough for 5 days like this, that’s when.
I think I will come out the other side of this just fine if a little poorer. But I feel like I have a novel virus all right, and I can’t get tested, and that strikes me as stupid.
Despite being in Spain last week, we really don’t have any reason to be tested. No symptoms worth reporting.
We have both had an intermittent cough since December, with some doctor’s visits in between. Going to a warmer climate (Spain) actually did help a bit. Wish we could have stayed longer, but worries for border closures sent us home earlier.
The girlfriend of my husband’s boss has symptoms, but will only be tested if she’s hospitalized. As my husband has not seen his boss since March 6th, there’s very little risk of infection from him.
Is it a dry cough? Just for your own sanity, it was my understanding if you have a dry cough that doesn’t produce anything and causes a tightness in chest, that is a sign of th Covid19.
If you’re actually able to cough something up, it supposedly is the flu or something else
Everyone is saying drive-through tests are the answer.
If you don’t have a car, will they do the test on a public bus?
I guess I’d say it is both? I have had a lot of congestion, which isn’t a common symptom. Sometimes it is a failed attempt to cough something up. But now I am 8 days into having a cough.