Have you been tested?

Ninthlife

wat24 wrote: »

I said this several times to receptionist and basically was told three symptoms or not a hope of a test! She more of least implied to ring back later and say I have a cough.

Since when is a receptionist qualified to determine whi gets tested

Bigboldworld

Fann Linn wrote: »

That, I'd say is the problem. Cost of testing.

A friend called me yesterday afternoon when driving by croker and said place was deserted, i thought these new testing centres would open every day and continuously test? Maybe it’s more for optics, the reality appears to be very different

At the end of the day, a test is just a test.
It’s frustrating that it’s taking a long time to get tested, but over 90% are coming back negative. That suggests that too many people are asking to be tested that really don’t need to be.

If you get bad, ring an ambulance.

wat24

Ninthlife wrote: »

Since when is a receptionist qualified to determine whi gets tested

Yesterday it was the doctor who filled the referral that seems to have gone out the window! She said they were only informed when they came in at 8 about it and didn’t know how they’d deal with the volume of calls they were expecting

ixoy

Fann Linn wrote: »

That, I'd say is the problem. Cost of testing.

It's a choke point in the line for testing - I think it's at the lab stage. You can't just magic up the equipment and skilled staff for this. My understanding is it's not that easy. Then there's a shortage of swab tests that'll hit us - it's a worldwide thing really.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

At the end of the day, a test is just a test.
It’s frustrating that it’s taking a long time to get tested, but over 90% are coming back negative. That suggests that too many people are asking to be tested that really don’t need to be.

If you get bad, ring an ambulance.

and in the meantime infect people? You need a medical cert to stay off work and get illness benefit. My job is still working with full staff (civil service) so in order to self isolate I need a medical cert saying I have something . I currently have one saying I am waiting Covid test - but if I am not getting test do I just to back to work where there are 50 other people in my area? I still have a sore throat and cough, but if HSE say you need to have a fever then I dont have Covid ?

Bigboldworld

[Deleted User] wrote: »

At the end of the day, a test is just a test.
It’s frustrating that it’s taking a long time to get tested, but over 90% are coming back negative. That suggests that too many people are asking to be tested that really don’t need to be.

If you get bad, ring an ambulance.

I rang ambulance last Wednesday when struggling to breathe, the lads came and basically said unless your on deaths door (which i thought i was) they wouldn’t advise going to hospital, so you’ll probably only get admitted if you are suffocating and need oxygen to live, crazy times

Flippyfloppy

This is sending out the wrong message to the public as to what the symptoms actually are.

I would imagine people who develop any symptoms without fever won't bother self isolating or phoning their gp from here on out.

STB.

Martina1991 wrote: »

There is a constant supply of swabs.

There is also a need for testing kits and reagents for lab analysis. There may be issues with supply of these down the line.

Having wheels without a car is useless. The procurement of testing kits should have been done well in advance.

Martina1991 wrote: »

I can absolutely see the benefit of trying to test everyone we can but i think the testing criteria should have been extended bit by bit to those with more severe symptoms or contact with a confirmed case and then extend the criteria to anyone who wishes to be tested when we can keep up with demand.
That's just my opinion.

But we are not trying to test everyone.

We are meant to be testing everyone that displayed symptoms, self isolated, contacted their GP, who made the call, and then waited patiently since the 13th March. Many are still waiting patiently (40-50k).

The numbers have been stacking up since the 13th. The question is why the tests have accumulated. If it is a capacity problem, you fix it. If its a lack of availability of testing gear you fix it. If its both, you fix both. You don't ignore those who have presented with symptoms. The pandemic is asymptomatic, so anyone displaying symptoms, should be tested. The GP's know what their responsibilities are and they know not to overwhelm the system. So the change 11 days later is simply not good enough for those awaiting tests.

Martina1991 wrote: »

Yes busy doing their routine work for hospitals, clinics and GPs.
Smaller hospitals with fewer staff will take longer to implement the service. The service is running in hospitals in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway atm.

Staff are now rostered in teams to prevent staff mixing together. That means the number of staff in is reduced and people are stretched.
I got the number 12 on twitter from the past president of the ACMLS Irene Regan.

I am talking about the hospitals with labs. Routine work does not receive priority. The truth in the matter is that those hospital labs are now testing exclusively the already infected patients and/or staff in their hospitals.

They are not dealing with the overflow/backlog from the NVRL.

Martina1991 wrote: »

There are already many plans in place for preparation and more to come. Our hospital ICU has gone from having 6 beds to having 24 if needed.

There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes that isn't reported in the media.

I know. That job is to test, identify and isolate. We have failed at the testing phase. That needs to change or the knock on effect will be catastrophic.

Bigboldworld

There’s obviously major issues with the testing, why aren’t the likes of croker and the army ship rammed with people getting tests, croker was deserted yesterday

Flippyfloppy

STB. wrote: »

I know. We have failed at the testing phase. That job is to test, identify and isolate. That needs to change or the knock on effect will be catastrophic.

It doesn't fill me with confidence that the hse can't even get over the first hurdle of testing everyone who needs to be tested, how will they treat everyone who needs to be treated.

Pinkpotato

8 days waiting for my 4 year olds appointment even. He's better now. GP says he still needs a test. Waste of a test IMO, he hasn't been outside in 2 weeks

STB.

Deleted User wrote: »

and in the meantime infect people? You need a medical cert to stay off work and get illness benefit. My job is still working with full staff (civil service) so in order to self isolate I need a medical cert saying I have something . I currently have one saying I am waiting Covid test - but if I am not getting test do I just to back to work where there are 50 other people in my area? I still have a sore throat and cough, but if HSE say you need to have a fever then I dont have Covid ?

No you most certainly do not.

I am sure you can make local practical arrangements that your HR/Manager can agree to, for everyone's benefit. Your government employer has responsibility for the overall health of their employees under the Health & Safety Act 2005.

This is a total mess that has accumulated since the 13th. The moving of goalposts is going to result in situations like yours and far far worse, where people just go back to work without being responsible.

Journalists need to be all over this because its a recipe for disaster.

Happyilylost

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

It doesn't fill me with confidence that the hse can't even get over the first hurdle of testing everyone who needs to be tested, how will they treat everyone who needs to be treated.

Maybe the issue is the HSE weren't expecting to be testing as many who DIDN'T need to be tested. 94% negative. That figure needs to sit in everyone's head.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

and in the meantime infect people? You need a medical cert to stay off work and get illness benefit. My job is still working with full staff (civil service) so in order to self isolate I need a medical cert saying I have something . I currently have one saying I am waiting Covid test - but if I am not getting test do I just to back to work where there are 50 other people in my area? I still have a sore throat and cough, but if HSE say you need to have a fever then I dont have Covid ?

Wait for your test. Ring your GP back to confirm if it’s still going ahead. If not, ask him when you can return to work.

94% are negative so obviously too many are getting tested that don’t need to be.

Maybe that’s blocking you which is frustrating.
You can understand their dilemma when so many are negative and every country is fighting for testing kits.

Stephen Gawking

This new criteria is just absolutely farcical! 10 days waiting on a test. No changes but my wife who is on immunosuppressants was contacted about cocooning because shes in a high risk catagory. My employer will have a field fay with this as they'd like nothing more to believe that i & others used this as an opportunity to skyve. Absolutely fuming.

STB.

Happyilylost wrote: »

Maybe the issue is the HSE weren't expecting to be testing as many who DIDN'T need to be tested. 94% negative. That figure needs to sit in everyone's head.

Of an alleged 18k.

There are multiples of that waiting to be tested, since the 13th March.

40k waiting with symptoms. That's a figure that needs to sit in your head.

They wont know who didn't need to be tested until they test them. The virus is asymptomatic and highly contagious.

Bigboldworld

Bigboldworld wrote: »

There’s obviously major issues with the testing, why aren’t the likes of croker and the army ship rammed with people getting tests, croker was deserted yesterday

Sorry to hear about what happened when you called the ambulance, that’s disgraceful!

My parents live right beside Croker. The actual testing is inside the stadium. You wouldn’t be likely to see lots of cars around I’d imagine. I’d say they space out appointments for privacy.

Flippyfloppy

"Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, Mr Harris said he was very proud that community testing was continuing in Ireland, adding that the World Health Organization was urging countries to continue to "test, test, test"."

From the 19th of March. Crazy. https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0319/1124042-coronavirus-ireland/

wat24

So I contacted my gp back and receptionist apologised that she had misunderstood only fever and one other symptom needed. Very hard on GPs and staff they walked into work at 8am this morning and haven’t even time to get to grips with new criteria.

STB.

STB. wrote: »

Of an alleged 18k.

There are multiples of that waiting to be tested, since the 13th March.

40k waiting with symptoms. That's a figure that needs to sit in your head.

They wont know who didn't need to be tested until they test them. The virus is asymptomatic and highly contagious.

But 18k is certainly a big enough sample to get an idea of the positive vs negative %.
If it’s 94% negative, of course they’re going to want to make testing criteria more strict.

STB.

Deleted User wrote: »

Wait for your test. Ring your GP back to confirm if it’s still going ahead. If not, ask him when you can return to work.

94% are negative so obviously too many are getting tested that don’t need to be.

Maybe that’s blocking you which is frustrating.
You can understand their dilemma when so many are negative and every country is fighting for testing kits.

This has been known for a long time.

We have been securing property for field hospitals, securing private health care facilities, redeploying staff from the nursing homes, special care facilities, the Army, Civil and Public Service and encouraging medical staff to return from abroad and hiring retired medical staff for the last month.

But when they looked in the cupboard they realised there weren't enough testing kits ? Or that there were not enough bio labs to test the numbers ? Pull the other one. There is more to this.

Deleted User wrote: »

But 18k is certainly a big enough sample to get an idea of the positive vs negative %.
If it’s 94% negative, of course they’re going to want to make testing criteria more strict.

Dont talk nonsense. It is not a big enough sample. And we are not here to carry out data sampling. We are here to test, isolate and contain any further contagion, so that our hospitals will not be overwhelmed and people start needlessly dying.

There are three times more waiting than have been tested since 29/2.

Fann Linn

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wait for your test. Ring your GP back to confirm if it’s still going ahead. If not, ask him when you can return to work.

94% are negative so obviously too many are getting tested that don’t need to be.

Maybe that’s blocking you which is frustrating.
You can understand their dilemma when so many are negative and every country is fighting for testing kits.

But it is important also for the partners and families of the person who is supposed to be tested.
My wife displayed all the symptoms initially, deemed suitable for the test and put on the list over two weeks ago. Now she's progressively got worse, although now she doesn't display all of the initial symptoms.
She was also admitted into hospital and discharged with antibiotics, steroids, inhalers etc.
In all that time she never got tested, and also in all of that time I continued to work. I'm actually in work now.
I don't know if my wife has Covid 19 or pneumonia, she's booked in for a test today, hopefully in 5/6 days time the result will be negative, but if it is positive what have I been spreading for the last 2 weeks?
By the way, I'm feeling grand atm.

CIARAN_BOYLE

STB. wrote: »

Of an alleged 18k.

There are multiples of that waiting to be tested, since the 13th March.

40k waiting with symptoms. That's a figure that needs to sit in your head.

They wont know who didn't need to be tested until they test them. The virus is asymptomatic and highly contagious.

Having the ability to test everyone is rediculous

South korea hasn't tested everyone.

They've tested 300k total according to a NY times article dated Monday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/world/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-flatten-curve.html?0p19G=2870

On a per capita basis that would be like testing 30k people here. As the situation in Korea has gone on longer than it has here I don't think our testing regime has failed.

Instead I would say that it's overwhelmed with the test numbers. As such we have to ask ourselves are we Italy or Spain who are just overwhelmed and have to abandon community testing. Or are we testing people that shouldn't be tested.

It's sad but there are resource limits.

wat24

wat24 wrote: »

So I contacted my gp back and receptionist apologised that she had misunderstood only fever and one other symptom needed. Very hard on GPs and staff they walked into work at 8am this morning and haven’t even time to get to grips with new criteria.

This is a problem as well. It’s easy for government to announce something on TV but each GP needs to brief all their staff and set expectations.

wat24

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This is a problem as well. It’s easy for government to announce something on TV but each GP needs to brief all their staff and set expectations.

Yes totally agree. When GP rang me back he said he was sitting trying to read the algorithm that he woke up to the news and had 30 mins to get his head around it and instruct his staff before their phone lines opened for the day.

eastie17

Mild symptoms weekend of the 14th, rang doctor 16th, put me in for test. Text to say sorry for the delay on Monday 23rd, text yesterday the 24th to give time for test tomorrow, March 26th. Test is in Cork. Not in any high risk categories but do have a child in the house with asthma

magic17

What they've done is pretty smart really. They've basically wiped the list clean. The GPs will now need to more stringently put people forward. The worst thing about this whole process is that you're relying on what people say over the phone to their GP. There's a lot of people worried out there and will exaggerate their symptoms.

Those who really need it will probably get tested far sooner than they would have. The wait times for the average person must easily have been 7-8 days at this stage. Getting rid of the 'I coughed once, I must have it' group will speed things up massively.

Notsomindful

fattymuatty wrote: »

Can I ask what the new case definition is? I was just googling about half an hour ago to look for what you needed to get tested and couldn't find it.

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0325/1126202-those-seeking-test-must-display-two-major-symptoms/

STB.

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Having the ability to test everyone is rediculous

South korea hasn't tested everyone.

They've tested 300k total according to a NY times article dated Monday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/world/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-flatten-curve.html?0p19G=2870

On a per capita basis that would be like testing 30k people here. As the situation in Korea has gone on longer than it has here I don't think our testing regime has failed.

Instead I would say that it's overwhelmed with the test numbers. As such we have to ask ourselves are we Italy or Spain who are just overwhelmed and have to abandon community testing. Or are we testing people that shouldn't be tested.

It's sad but there are resource limits.

Dont compare us to South Korea. They tested from day one. They did 20,000 tests a day. They ended up testing half a million. In addition to testing they fully contained the virus, through testing everyone coming and going through the airport. They also continually monitored those infected using phone technology.

Our testing regime HAS failed. We have testing centres sitting idle. An apparent lack of kits ? And a testing labs not ready to quantify those tests ? WHY ?

Testing and isolation is the key, per WHO.